When your child is sick, do you take them to a pediatrician?

I think most parents do. But when an older adult is sick, they may not often seek out the expertise of a geriatrician. Part of this issue may be finding one.

On March 10th, 2017, Judith Graham of the Washington Post asked the question: For an aging person, is it worth it to start using a geriatrician When an older adult has a lot of medications and health problems that you and your family are trying to manage, Geriatricians are experts in complexity.?In a recent publication by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Dr. John Morley describes how primary care physicians are not experts in geriatric care, and this expertise matters. Dr. Morley provides a figure of the multiple roles of geriatricians, as members of the Super Specialist team that includes Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and other members of the interdisciplinary team.

There a new models of care emerging to provide services for older adults and their family members. As Dr. Morley’s Figure points out, these models may be found across care settings – meaning they may be found in hospitals, education programs, long-term care, end-of-life care, outpatient programs, and geriatric psychiatry.

Published in June 2016, a Community Health Needs Assessment for Inova Fairfax?was completed and I was able to serve on a committee to develop an Implementation Strategy?approved by the Board of Directors in October 2016.

For 2017-2020, Inova Fairfax identified it’s #1 Priority Area is to “Improve the Care and Conditions of Aging Adults”.

One way Inova Fairfax is demonstrating its commitment to achieving this goal is by Inova Geriatrics Integrative Services is expanding their geriatric programs into the community. This show highlights their new Advanced Illness Clinic, Geriatric House Calls Program, and Geriatric Assessment Clinic. Upcoming programs will highlight other initiatives related to Inova Fairfax’s national exemplar NICHE program, PACE, models of long-term care and more…

 

Guests include:

• Denise Mohess, MD: Section Chief of Geriatrics and Medical Director of the Advanced Illness Clinic and Geriatric Populations
• Marlow Phillips, MSN, NP-C: Nurse Practitioner for the House Calls program – and a Duke University School of Nursing Alumni (Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care)?- and a proud faculty moment: Duke School of Nursing is Ranked #1 by US News and World Report
• Nancy Toward, LGSW, CSA, Social Worker II: Social Worker for the House Calls Program
• Ramon Blanco, MD: Physician with Geriatric Assessment Clinic
• Dominique Danquah, MSW, CSA, Social Worker II: Social Worker with Geriatric Assessment Clinic

 

To make an appointment for any of these programs, or get more information, please call: (571) 328-7775

 

Originally aired March 27, 2017

 

Full citation to Dr. Morley’s article in JAGS:
Morley, J. E. (2017). Geriatricians: The Super Specialists. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, n/a-n/a. doi:10.1111/jgs.14702

 

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