Virtual Adult Day Services increase positive mood by 25%
BRAMPTON, ON (May 1, 2025) – Peel Region is presenting the benefits of Virtual Adult Day Services (ADS) at AdvantAge Ontario’s 2025 Convention (#ASC2025) today. In projects carried out during the pandemic in 2021, Virtual ADS was shown to improve socialization, provide cognitive stimulation, and increase positive mood by about 25%. Since its inception in 2021, Peel’s Virtual ADS has evolved into a permanent service with over 10,000 online sessions provided per year.
Virtual ADS allows older adults to age at home and live in the community longer by offering online programs focused on their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional health. In engaging one-on-one or group sessions led by experienced Peel Region staff, seniors can enjoy a variety of interactive activities tailored to their needs, ranging from physical exercises and brain-stimulating games to music therapy and meaningful discussion.
In addition to direct staff support, seniors benefit from online resources and mailings that keep them engaged and connected. Virtual ADS offers a holistic approach to seniors care, allowing individuals to thrive in the comfort and safety of their own homes while staying socially connected and active. Seniors, including those on long-term care waitlists, benefit from this easy-to-access service.
Peel Region applies an emotion-based care approach to its Virtual ADS programs. Emotion-based care empowers staff to engage ADS clients in meaningful ways by focusing on the experiences, interests, hobbies, and stories that have shaped their lives. It also has an incredible ability to make unique connections with people living with dementia, often providing a new spark to an individual’s health, mood, and self-expression.
Peel Region was the first in Ontario to implement the Butterfly approach in its Long Term Care Centres and fully intends to maintain its leadership in emotion-based care.
In Peel, seniors are the fastest growing age group. By 2041, one in five residents will be over the age of 65. This means adapting our publicly funded services so that we can reach more people in need, whether those seniors live in one of our five municipal long-term care homes or in their own homes. That is why our teams in Seniors Services are pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation to make more things possible, providing older adults with options for care, support and connection.
Nancy Polsinelli, Commissioner of Health Services, Peel Region
Peel’s Virtual Adult Day Services program is popular because it reduces barriers to care by engaging clients through meaningful programming from the comfort of their homes. In our 2024 annual experience surveys, clients told us the service helps maintain and improve their wellbeing, and caregivers confirmed that the service contributes to their loved one’s ability to continue to live at home. We are very proud of these results.
Whitney Harrison, Director (A), Seniors Services Development, Peel Region
About Peel Region
Peel Region works with residents and partners to create a healthy, safe, and connected Community for Life for approximately 1.5 million people and over 200,000 businesses in Brampton, Mississauga, and Caledon. Peel’s services touch the lives of residents every day. For more information explore peelregion.ca and follow us on X @regionofpeel and Instagram @peelregion.ca.
Media contacts
Dan Brennan
Communications Specialist
Peel Region