The Value of Integrated, Comprehensive Care for Seniors
PACE's services are grounded in a comprehensive, integrated care model that prioritizes all-inclusive care and communication between providers. As a population, older adults face a unique set of health-related and social needs, including high rates of chronic health conditions, behavioral health problems, and multiple prescription medications. Often, a traditional healthcare approach—which tends to focus on one problem at a time and may involve multiple disconnected providers—isn't effective for individuals in this age group.
Here, we'll discuss what integrated comprehensive care services entail and how they benefit seniors.
What Does a Comprehensive Integrated Care Model Look Like?
Integrated and comprehensive care are slightly different, though there's a lot of overlap between them. An integrated care approach is one in which an interdisciplinary healthcare team collaborates to fully address the patient's needs. By sharing information and coordinating treatment plans, healthcare professionals are able to provide holistic, higher-quality care.
Comprehensive care, on the other hand, refers to care that encompasses all of a patient's needs, whether medical, psychological, behavioral, or social, often over an extended period.
The Benefits of Integrated, Comprehensive Healthcare for Seniors
At PACE, we recognize that our clients' health, lifestyles, and emotional and mental well-being are intimately interconnected. For example, someone who lives with one or more chronic diseases might experience repercussions in other areas.
For example, consider the hypothetical scenario of an elderly patient who lives with diabetes and osteoporosis. Diabetes can cause reduced blood flow and nerve damage to the feet, which in turn can increase an individual's risk of falling. Moreover, for people with low bone density as a result of osteoporosis, falls can be dangerous, and often come with an increased risk of fractures or other serious injuries.
Particularly if this person has already suffered a fall in the past, they may be fearful and afraid to move around too much or leave the house, which can result in isolation and poor mental health. Further, fatigue is a common symptom of diabetes, and as a result, they may not have the energy to prepare nutritious meals, leading to poor nutrition.
An integrated, comprehensive care approach to this situation might include the following:
working with the patient to fall-proof their home and connect them with an exercise program, thereby decreasing their risk of falling and suffering a fracture
providing transportation services that allow this individual to spend time with other people at a senior day care center, thus improving their mental health and supporting their mobility issues
providing nutritional counseling and/or meal services to ensure that their diet is supporting their overall health
ensuring that any prescription medications this person is taking do not have harmful interactions or side effects that might exacerbate other health conditions or increase their risk of falling
facilitating communication and collaboration between any healthcare professionals that this patient is seeing (such as podiatrists, mental health professionals, gerontologists, or nutritionists) so that the patient is presented with a unified, holistic care plan
PACE of Southwest Michigan's innovative philosophy focuses on providing care to seniors in their own homes and communities, thereby allowing them to maintain their comfort, independence, and dignity. PACE takes a holistic, all-inclusive approach to care that combines interdisciplinary healthcare, social support, spiritual care, and more. If you or someone you know is struggling to have their care needs met, check your eligibility or contact us to explore your options.