Dr. L Thorpe

Biography

Dr. L. Thorpe is a Clinical Professor in the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. As a geriatric psychiatrist, Dr. Thorpe is a founding member of the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry and has served on the specialty committee of geriatric psychiatry with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he played a pivotal role in developing the subspecialty program. His clinical focus is on geriatric mental health, particularly regarding complex clinical and cognitive presentations in seniors. He holds a PhD in aging and intellectual disabilities and has extensive experience providing clinical consultations related to research, specifically dealing with end-of-life processes and medical assistance in dying (MAID). His projects have included a quality improvement initiative that explores unmet needs behind requests for MAID and discussions around end-of-life decisions for patients with ALS and multiple sclerosis. Dr. Thorpe's ongoing research interests involve vulnerable adults and include recent projects investigating social work interviews focused on clinical cases of substitute decision-makers. He supervises residents studying the impact of pandemic-related loneliness on seniors living independently and is involved in research on developing a dedicated geriatric psychiatry inpatient unit. Nationally, he participates in curriculum development related to medical assistance in dying, particularly concerning the assessment of complex capacity.

Research Interests