Geriatric Connections Review

  • Date Submitted: Sep 5, 2023
  • Category: Impact Story
St. John's Health Geriatric Connection’s medical examination is excellent. It provides a complete service to seniors that is convenient, easy, and very thorough.

It begins with an initial explanation and interview from a senior overseeing physician and intake with a medical assistant both of whom manage your multi-week process. Then follows a series of appointments with a wide range of specialists M.D.'s including cardiologist, neurologist, ophthalmologist, internist, audiologist, and urologist. (The service recommends local specialists or allows existing personal ones.) Also a physical therapist for balance and stability, and an occupational therapist for home safety. The overall process focuses on cognition and memory. 

Generally, Geriatric Connections concentrates on setting a comprehensive health baseline for seniors from which any decline can be measured and treated. The examination concludes with extensive outgoing interviews and recommendations with the managing medical assistant and physician as well as any appropriate medications. Personally, this entailed continued exercise that elevates your heart rate (at age 81 primarily walking) and a medication to maintain memory. 

All this took me about three weeks, was easy, pleasant and informative. St. John's Health Foundation partners with St. John's Health to help underwrite about half the cost of this extensive program to ensure we can continue to support senior residents in the community and extend their opportunities to age comfortably in their homes.
 
Charles Thomson is 81, lives in Wilson, WY & is a former journalist. He is also a member of the St. John's Health Foundation Board of Directors.