The Center For Elder Care provides specialized care for the unique needs of older adults. Our clinicians are experts in managing geriatric patients and specialize in management of multiple, complex, acute, and chronic medical conditions.
A few of the unique clinical challenges in round-the-clock care of the elderly include:
Alzheimers Disease and Dementia
These patients are vulnerable and require close monitoring. Our staff provides sympathetic support to our patients and their families.
Falls, Gait, and Balance Problems in Older Adults
Each year 1 in 3 community dwelling individuals above the age of 65 fall each year in the United States. These problems are due to multiple factors and our team specializes in a global approach to fall prevention based on gait and balance assessment, medication review, etc. These interventions can prevent falls by up to 60 - 70%. We established one of the first evidence-based fall prevention program based on scientific evidence, international research, and are following the CDC (Center for Disease Control) model for fall prevention. We established a program called “Balance for Life”, offering exercises for an hour three days a week in fourteen churches in North Alabama. This program is offered to all members of the community and is free of cost. Visit www.centerforaging.net for more information. http://www.cdc.gov/steadi
Polypharmacy
Polypharmacy is the use of four or more medications, prescribed or over-the-counter medications, by an older adult. The daily use of these medications is necessary and appropriate, however, it is impossible to know or predict the side effects of a combination of drugs due to drug interaction and drug to food interaction. It becomes nearly impossible to differentiate between the side effect of a medication from the symptom of a disease process. Our clinical staff continues to learn the art of skillful management of medications from our patients.
The Beer’s list is a list of potentially inappropriate medication for older adults over the age of 65.
http://www.americangeriatrics.org/files/documents/beers/PrintableBeersPocketCard.pdf
Depression
Patients face many challenges as they navigate through the aging process. The aging process is accompanied by loss of social support systems due to loss of spouse or siblings, retirement, relocation of residence to a new community, disruption in social and family relationships. Our staff screen all our patients with an annual PHQ-9 Depression Scale and/or the Geriatric Depression Scale. We offer support to the family members to alert them about subtle symptoms of depression that may creep in older adults.
Acute delirium in the elderly
Acute delirium is the most common complication of hospitalization in the elderly population. The incidence of acute delirium during a hospital stay varies from 14% to 56% and 70% to 87% in the ICE. Development of delirium depends on a complex interaction of multiple risk factors. More than 50% to 60% of the disease entity can be prevented by appropriate intervention. The mortality of the disease entity rates from 10% to 65 %. We use the CAM scale ( Confusion Assessment Scale) to diagnose the disease and treat based on evidence based practice of medicine.