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Senior Services
| ElderWell | HeartWell | LifeLine Personal Security System | OASIS Education Center |
Suburban Hospital has long valued providing continued care to seniors Though we no longer are a direct provider of community home health services, we are partnered with two local organizations, Potomac Home Health (PHH) and Potomac Home Support (PHS), to provide home health services. In addition, we offer other valuable services such as ElderWell, our chronic disease management program, and HeartWell, a free chronic-disease management program for individuals with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
ElderWell
Suburban Hospital is pleased to provide an innovative, chronic disease management program called ElderWell. The program is focused on enhancing wellness and quality of life for those over the age of 65 with congestive heart failure and diabetes associated with cardiovascular disease. The goals of ElderWell are to reduce hospitalization and, when the patient must be hospitalized, to reduce the length of the hospital stay. The ElderWell program offers visits by a registered nurse to patients in their homes. The nurse instructs the patients and their families about the disease process, and symptom recognition and management.
The ElderWell nurse, also called a care manager, is responsible for assessing the patient’s health and developing an individualized care plan. The nurse works in close collaboration with the patient’s physician, and her role does not take the place of medical advice and care by the physician. The nurse evaluates medications and helps manage blood pressure, diet, exercise, and transportation issues, supervises prescription refills, and coordinates follow-up physician visits. The nurse/care manager also helps to coordinate other needed services such as home health aides or meal delivery. The nurse is available by phone Monday through Friday for questions and, if necessary, can often visit the same day. Any extra visits or telephone calls do not change the monthly fee. For more information about ElderWell services, please call 301.896.6500.
HeartWell
HeartWell is a free chronic-disease management program designed to teach individuals with diabetes and cardiovascular disease how to manage their symptoms and disease. The program focuses on education concerning early disease symptom recognition, symptom management, medication, diet, and lifestyle changes. The program’s goals are to reduce the frequency of hospital admissions due to cardiovascular disease and to help the participant maintain as high a level of functioning as possible.
HeartWell's services are targeted to an under served senior population and there is no charge for the services provided by the registered nurse. Eligible persons are seen by a nurse at the Holiday Park Senior Center in Wheaton (Tuesday – Thursday), Longbranch Senior Center in Takoma Park (Tuesday), Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center in Silver Spring (Thursday), and Gaithersburg Senior Center (Friday). The program also sponsors a variety of classes at specific senior centers such as nutrition classes and gait and balance screenings. Program participants can be self referred, referred by a physician, family member, or any staff member at the Senior Center. For more information about HeartWell services, please call 301.896.6508 or 301.896.6507. For a list of our HeartWell Clinics, click here.
Criteria for admission to the HeartWell program are the following:
- Age 55 or over
- Must have a primary care physician
- Must have a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes
- Must consent to allow the nurse to share health information with the individual’s physician
- Must agree to inform the nurse about any hospitalization and the length of stay
Financial Information
ElderWell
The cost of the ElderWell program is $200 per month. The cost is not covered under Medicare Part B, HMO’s or most third-party insurance, although some third-party insurance companies will provide partial reimbursement on a case-by-case basis. The cost of the program may also be covered under Long-Term Care Insurance that has a case-management benefit. A limited number of subsidies are available.
HeartWellThe HeartWell program is free.