Connected Care for Older Adults
- Project Title: Connected Care for Older Adults
- Program Representative Interviewed: Dr. Jodi Ready, Clinical Advisory Panel Older Adult Work Group
- Location: Hood River, Wasco, and Clatsop Counties, Oregon
- Program Overview: The Connected Care for Older Adults program improves primary care services for rural adults aged 55 and older who do not receive in-home medical support. The program launched within one Federally Qualified Health Center in 2022 and has since expanded to include 5 additional primary care clinics, with more planned for the future. In the Connected Care model, Community Health Workers (CHWs) help bridge the gap between healthcare providers and rural older adults by following protocols aligned with the 4Ms identified in IHI's Age Friendly Health Systems Framework: What Matters, Mentation, Medication, and Mobility. CHWs carry out patient assessments at the request of the individual's healthcare provider, such as dementia screenings and in-home fall risk assessments. Additionally, CHWs connect patients to existing community resources, assist in coordinating appointments and transportation, and provide health education and system navigation support.