Vermont currently has the second oldest population in the country and the elderly population is continuing to increase. Senior citizens define aging successfully as having good health, strong friendships, and being able to participate in activities. In order to meet the needs of seniors it is important to find ways to better connect them with available community resources. The aim of this project was to create a pamphlet of community resources available to seniors in Franklin County, Vermont to aid in connecting them to community involvement and support.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1274/thumbnail.jp

Reilly, Autumn

English

UVM ScholarWorks

University of VermontScholarWorks @ UVMFamily Medicine Clerkship Student Projects Larner College of Medicine2017Connecting Seniors in Franklin County Vermontto Community ResourcesAutumn ReillyUniversity of VermontFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerkPart of the Medical Education Commons, and the Primary Care CommonsThis Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Larner College of Medicine at ScholarWorks @ UVM. It has been accepted for inclusion inFamily Medicine Clerkship Student Projects by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ UVM. For more information, please contactdonna.omalley@uvm.edu.Recommended CitationReilly, Autumn, "Connecting Seniors in Franklin County Vermont to Community Resources" (2017). Family Medicine ClerkshipStudent Projects. 242.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/242Connecting Seniors in Franklin County Vermont to Community ResourcesAutumn Reilly Rotation 7: February- March 2017Project Mentor: Max Bayard MD1Problem Identification and Description of Need What is Successful Aging?• Successful aging for seniors is measured by2:– General health– Strong friendships– Ability to participate in activities (recreational, leisure, civic)– Good family relationsVermont’s Aging Population • Vermont has the 2nd oldest population in country1– 15.9% of Vermont’s population was over age 65, ranking fourth in US for percent of population >65– 2.3% of population >85– By 2032 it is predicted that 23.8% of Vermont’s population will be >65, ranking 1st in the US12AProblem Identification and Description of Need Access to Resources in Franklin County• Older adults living in rural areas have less access to health care and have to travel farther to access resources1• Services tend to be more costly in rural areas – 8.0% of Franklin County residents >60 are below federal poverty level 1How do senior citizens meet goals for aging through connections to community resources? • In a 2013 survey, older Vermonters and their caregivers identified that they didn’t “know where to turn to and the complexity of the service system and application processes were barriers to accessing care”1• A pamphlet of community contacts provided by healthcare providers could be a starting point to help elderly patients navigate care2BPublic Health Costs• Many state and national organizations are dedicated to our countries aging population.– In particular healthcare costs are high for seniors leaving them less money to spend on other expenses.4– Yearly Out-of-Pocket annual healthcare costs for a couple6 age 65 was $6,999; while the average annual social security payment for a retired worker4 in Vermont was about $12,000.• Costs specific to Vermont in 20155:– Nursing Home yearly rate- $102,018– Assisted Living Facility yearly rate- $48,240– Home Health Aide Services yearly rate- $50,336– It is estimated that in 2030 that national average annual cost for a nursing home will be $190,600• With high healthcare and housing costs it is important to support Vermont's seniors living independently through community programs and outreach. 3Community Perspective • SASH Coordinator- Support and Services at Home – SASH is a healthy aging program designed to keep Medicare patients healthy and support them living independently.– The program originally started as a brainstorming project amongst senior citizens about what resources they would find beneficial. – Before the development of SASH there was a need for a program that was designed to help seniors navigate community resources. – Referrals for the program come through local physicians, friends and family members. The program is completely voluntary. – Currently they have a full panel of clients and there is a waiting list for people to receive SASH services in Franklin County. • Senior Community Member and Volunteer– Volunteer involvement includes Meals on Wheels food preparation, Martha’s Kitchen, Senior Center, Vermont Animal Cruelty Investigation Advisory Board– He states that most resources and ways to get involved in the community are spread by word of mouth. He would have found a pamphlet or booklet of resources helpful, but he was not aware of anything like this existing.“I could stay at home and do nothing, but I wanted to do something. Its good to remain active and give back to the community.”4Intervention and Methodology • Information on a variety of community resources was collected including:– Purpose of the organization– Resources available to elderly patients– Contact information or ways to get involved• The goal was to create a pamphlet that provided a variety of community resources available to senior citizens and contact information for these resources.• The pamphlets will then be distributed to NOTCH Health Centers in Franklin County, and available for providers to give to patients or in waiting areas for patients to take as they would like. • Following is a list of organizations/resources included in the pamphlet: – Age Well– Volunteer Opportunities: Tri-County Foster Grandparents, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Northwestern Medical Center– Franklin County Senior Center– Green Mountain Transit– SASH – Support and Services at Home • It is hoped that the information provided will not only help senior citizens navigate various resources, but also increase community involvement and improve quality of life. 5AIntervention and Methodology: Tri-fold Pamphlet  5BResults/Response• Members of the NOTCH Health Centers reviewed the pamphlet.• The goal is that the pamphlet will be printed and distributed amongst the NOTCH Health Centers, and used by social workers and other providers as a reference for community contacts. • Response from providers for the distribution of the pamphlet was positive. One of the social workers in the office remarked that this would be an easy and quick resource to provide to patients looking for ways to get involved in the community. 6Effectiveness and Limitations Effectiveness• Pamphlet provides list of community resources and contacts in a single easy to read location which can be distributed to patients at their office visit • Helps elderly patients navigate the system rather than them having to access information on the internet.• Increase in awareness of these resources to primary care providers and other office staff• Resource to provide to patients without involvement of wellness coordinator saving time and further appointments• Possible benefits from patient involvement in these community resources include:– Improvement in senior citizens quality of life and involvement in the community – Increased awareness and use of resources available in terms of housing, mental health, wellness, volunteering, transportation, and health care  Limitations• Difficult to include all resources that cover a variety of needs in the format of a pamphlet• Did not have sufficient time to evaluate the implementation and use of the pamphlet in the office setting • Patient involvement or use of these community resources was not able to be assessed• With resources and contact information changing frequently this pamphlet will need yearly updates. • Resources are limited to and only applicable for Franklin County • Some resources require an application process or service fee which can be barriers for senior citizen involvement 7Recommendations for Future Interventions/Projects Ideas for future projects:• Creating a survey for elderly patients assessing:– Resources that they are familiar with– Areas of need or resources that would be of benefit to them– Previous experiences with use of community resources• Assess primary care providers awareness of community resources for elderly population, their likelihood of referral, and their perspectives on the importance of community involvement for elderly patients • Data collection on the use of various resources throughout the county Finding additional ways to connect with senior citizens and provide information on community resources including:– Creating an updated yearly newspaper spread containing similar information as the pamphlet– Advertising resources through local news and broadcast stations – Distributing pamphlets through meals on wheels delivery system – Providing pamphlets to community senior centers and local restaurants for distribution 8References 1. “Vermont State Plan on Aging for Federal Fiscal Years 2015-2017.” Department of disabilities, aging and independent living. July 2014. http://www.ddas.vermont.gov/ddas-publications/publications-older-americans-act/publications-older-americans-act-documents/vt-state-plan-on-aging2. “How Do Seniors Define Successful Aging.” Senior Journal.Com. January 2006. www.seniorjournal.com/ NEWS/Aging/6-01-18-HowDoSeniorsDefine.htm3. “Across the States: profiles of long-term services and supports-Vermont.” AARP. 2012.http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/public_policy_institute/ltc/2012/across-the-states-2012-vermont-AARP-ppi-ltc.pdf4. “Housing and the needs of Vermont’s aging population.” Vermont Housing Finance Agency. September 2007. http://www.vhfa.org/documents/housing_elderly.pdf5. “Cost of Care Surgery Vermont.” Genworth. 2015. https://www.genworth.com/dam/Americas/US/PDFs/Consumer/corporate/cost-of-care/118928VT_040115_gnw.pdf6. “Healthcare Costs in Retirement.” The Vermont Agency. http://www.vermontagency.com/resource-center/retirement/healthcare-costs-in-retirement9

Connecting Seniors in Franklin County Vermont to Community Resources

https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1274&amp;context=fmclerk

Connecting Seniors in Franklin County Vermont to Community Resources

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

UVM ScholarWorks