For seniors enrolled in the InnovAge LIFE program, healthcare is built around a team approach designed to provide all-inclusive, coordinated care.
At the center of that approach is the Interdisciplinary Team, or IDT. Every InnovAge LIFE participant is supported by an 11-member team that works together to address the individual’s medical, physical, social and daily needs. The team coordinates care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The IDT includes a primary care physician, registered nurse, social worker, physical therapist, occupational therapist, recreational therapist or activity coordinator, dietitian, center director, home care coordinator, personal care attendant and transportation driver.
Each member brings a different area of expertise, but the team works collectively to develop and manage a participant’s care.
That coordination is reinforced through weekly meetings at InnovAge centers, where IDT members discuss each enrolled participant. By communicating regularly, team members can understand not only their own role, but also how the other professionals are contributing to a participant’s overall health and well-being.
The result is a more integrated approach to care, with the goal of ensuring that participants’ needs are identified and addressed across multiple areas of their lives.
The team-based model also distinguishes InnovAge LIFE from a traditional health care experience.
While private medical practices often operate on demanding schedules that can limit the amount of time providers spend with individual patients, the InnovAge LIFE model is designed around more comprehensive, personalized attention. Rather than viewing a participant through the lens of a single medical appointment, the IDT considers the full picture of the person’s health and daily needs.
When a participant needs to see a specialist, InnovAge coordinates that care as part of the overall LIFE program. Transportation is provided from the participant’s home to medical and specialty appointments, helping reduce one of the logistical challenges that can make accessing health care difficult for older adults.
The members of the IDT bring expertise in their respective fields while working within a care model focused specifically on older adults. By combining medical professionals, therapists, social services, nutrition, activities, home care and transportation, the team is able to address the many factors that can affect a senior’s health.
For InnovAge LIFE participants, that means care is not handled by one provider working alone. Instead, an entire team talks to one another to coordinate services and create an individualized approach to each participant’s care.
Sponsored content produced in partnership with InnovAge.
