| |
 |
|
 |
| |
|
 |
| |
|
By Dr. Hank Williams, MD,
Medical Director, Bellevue Senior Health Center,
Overlake Hospital Medical Center
|
| |
| |
|
We’ve all heard about the population shift of aging baby boomers, but it isn’t widely known that on the Eastside, the fastest growing population group is people 85 years and older. This reality brings its own challenges for those of us in health care and has forced us to take a long look at how we do our jobs.
I feel lucky to take care of older adults, which I have done exclusively since going back to school to earn credentials in |
| |
geriatrics. My work is fascinating on intellectual and personal levels because I am always learning something new. There are huge challenges and huge rewards. One area of particular complexity is helping patients manage chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease.
At Overlake Hospital Medical Center we’ve found that the typical 10-minute office visit is just not adequate for older adults. At our senior centers in Bellevue and on Mercer Island, visits are expanded to at least 30 minutes. This is the best way for me to ask questions and listen carefully, which is crucial for managing the complexities of multiple health issues. |
| |
We have a pharmacist on staff who partners with me on issuing prescriptions. This second set of eyes monitors potential medication side effects, drug interactions, dosage issues and acts as a safeguard against medication errors. It is shocking but true that 18 percent of all visits to the emergency department are due to |
|
|
| |
adverse drug effects. So having a pharmacist on board—who just focuses on older adults—can make a huge difference in quality of life and illness management.
Many readers of this magazine are likely to be caregivers for aging parents, and you need your own support to protect your own well-being. Overlake Hospital Medical Center’s Senior Care Connections program offers a caregivers’ support group and there is also a group that meets regularly for family members coping with Alzheimer’s disease.
This is an important topic for all of us. Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter said there are only four kinds of people in the world, “Those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.” One-on-one counseling and even home visits by a nurse are available to help Eastside caregivers simplify tasks and provide care more safely and easily. |
| |
Another really important component of caring for older adults is rethinking hospital stays. We need to shed our old ways, and embrace growth and change by taking care of our elders with greater thought and consideration. An innovative program from New York University is now underway at my hospital, called NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders). This nuts-and-bolts program trains nurses on the unique needs of older adults. Simple changes have profound impact. We are trying to protect our patients’ sleep by ending nighttime interruptions. A portable CD |
|
 |
| |
player brings music—and calm—to a disoriented patient. Always addressing someone by his or her name helps bring dignity and eases confusion. None of these changes are very “high tech” but they make a difference.
Following a patient’s care from the hospital to either home or another facility like a nursing home is a challenge but really crucial. This kind of coordination takes some thought, and good people need to fill the gap with programs like nurse practitioner rounding and case management.
No one wants to go to the hospital, or even the doctor’s office, so fitness and overall wellness are a top priority as we age and as we care for the people we love. Fitness and wellness classes, counseling, home visits and more are available at Overlake and through other community resources. Seek out the support you and your elder family member need and then experience the difference it can make.
For more information on Overlake’s Senior Care Connections program, visit www.overlakehospital.org, click on the Our Services link and go to Senior Care or call 425-688-5800. |