HMC Senior Services Program
For a start, you want to feel healthy. Hunterdon Medical Center (HMC) has designed the Senior Services program to anticipate and respond to your evolving health, wellness and medical needs. We have earned a reputation of doing whatever it takes to enhance each patient’s quality of life.

Senior Service Directors Linda Bryant and Shekar Chakravarthi, MD, who also serves as Medical Director, work closely with medical specialists, surgeons, psychologists, support groups and community educators to make sure every senior who passes through the door receives the inspiration and care they need to feel younger and live longer. This comprehensive perspective is the cornerstone of HMC’s approach to senior healthcare.

“On the medical side,” observes Dr. Chakravarthi, “the staff sees what it does as ‘wholistic’ medicine because the unit’s approach is to look at the whole patient.” That means taking into account not just the immediate medical crisis a patient may be facing, but broader factors such as a patient’s state of mind, lifestyle, support network or living arrangements.

“For example, if a patient comes in who has had a fall,” Chakravarthi explains, “we don’t only look at the immediate medical problem, the injury. We look at the whole person to find out why they fell and what other factors may be in play. Do they live alone? Are they confused? Are there issues with medication?”

Active Mind, Healthy Body
The Senior Services staff at HMC deals with both the patient’s body and mind. The mind is particularly important. “In a number of cases,” Dr. Chakravarthi notes, “doctors may find that a patient is suffering from depression or other underlying psychological issues, and medication or therapy can improve their quality of life.”

In some older patients, dementia can be a serious problem. “We focus on what that person needs,” Dr. Chakravarthi said. “Can they live at home with certain help? Should they be driving? Are they capable of paying bills or taking medication?”

This broad-spanning patient review demonstrates how the Senior Services team works closely with many specialties within HMC, such as the Diabetes Health Center, which treats diabetes patients, and HMC’s sleep lab, for disorders such as sleep apnea, which can contribute to other problems.

Geriatric Assessment
A key benefit provided by Senior Services is the Geriatric Assessment program, designed to identify and help with some of the subtle changes that come with aging.

“We work with not only our seniors but the whole support network around them, including family, neighbors and friends,” says Bryant.

“Sometimes it’s an emotional issue. Sometimes it’s physical. Often it’s unclear. So we offer a full review to determine any underlying causes and develop a solution for them.”

Ms. Bryant says she believes that a comprehensive evaluation can lead to more creative, life affirming solution. “Patients receive the perspectives of not just a doctor who specializes in older patients, but also a nurse and a social worker who work with many other needs,” she says.

Stay Independent
Independence is a quality-of-life priority for most seniors. According to Ms. Bryant: “The majority of seniors are doing what they want to do and living life on their own terms. And most want to remain independent — that’s a key concern. It’s important to help them create a lifestyle that makes independence practical for as long as possible.”

Senior Services works to match patients with the best and most appropriate services available in the community. That may involve private services that deliver different types of home healthcare or community-based or volunteer programs that can meet some of their needs for free or at a lower cost. The staff also works closely with the nearby Hunterdon Health and Wellness Center, which offers programs such as senior exercise.

Increasingly, Senior Services is offering in-house programs to meet the special needs of older area residents. Programs include a 55 Alive defensive driving course and support groups for caregivers and those who suffer from problems such as arthritis. Another program is Caring for you, Caring for me which includes understanding Alzhemiers Disease and Dimentia resources in the community, as well as elder law. The staff of Senior Services does everything possible to empower our patients to live healthier lives.