What are the unique needs of our aging patients? How can we best adapt our team approach and care delivery to meet their unique needs?

The goal of this training module is to ensure integrated primary care teams have the most current and relevant information to develop the foundational relationships needed to deliver care to their senior patients. It is from these relationships that care teams will be best positioned to assess, determine appropriate care plans, and deliver care to their senior patients. Seniors need and want to be heard. It is critical that providers listen with the head and heart – to hear both what is said and what isn’t.  Every team member has a role in this powerful opportunity to meet the unique needs of our senior patients.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the unique needs of our senior patients and their care networks.
• Describe the specific roles of team members as you care for seniors.
• Recognize the indicators that are key to assessing senior patients risk tolerance, level of safe independence, and a plan to move through end of life changes.

Who should complete this module?

The information in this module is valuable for all integrated team members, including clinicians, nurses, behavioral health staff, medical assistants, front & back office staff, and care managers.

The project described was supported by Funding Opportunity Number CMS-1G1-14-001 from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The Colorado State Innovation Model (SIM), a four-year initiative, is funded by up to $65 million from CMS. The content provided is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies.