Beyond the Checkup: In-Home Annual Wellness Visits Help Older Adults Stay Safe and Independent
For many older adults, staying healthy may not be the hardest part of aging. Getting to health care appointments can be. Transportation challenges, mobility limitations, and other barriers can make it difficult to
keep up with preventive care, even though those visits can help identify problems before they become serious.
About a year ago, the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit program was created to help address that challenge. Supported through a grant from Community Health Plan of Washington, the pilot program brings annual wellness visits into patients' homes, pairing an in-person visit from a medical assistant with a virtual provider appointment. While the visits help patients complete an important yearly checkup, they also create an opportunity to identify additional concerns that can affect a person's health, safety, and ability to remain independent.
"As a provider, I would say the biggest benefit I see is that it’s really an opportunity for us to check in, see them, and screen for some of the more common concerns people can develop as they age," said Dr. Maria Verduzco, Chief Medical Director at Yakima Medical Dental Clinic.
Meeting patients where they live provides insight that may be difficult to gain during a traditional office visit. Medical assistants can identify potential safety concerns in the home, observe mobility challenges, and help connect patients with services and resources that support their well-being.
Karen Ramirez, Home Visiting Program Coordinator, said home visits often reveal needs that might otherwise go unnoticed during a clinic visit.
"I think a really big impact is just being the eyes and the ears of our patients," Ramirez said. "This is not just a typical wellness visit, but an overall visit, like a picture of their life and where they stand in the moment and how we can help better it for them."
As an example, Ramirez pointed to a visit in December where a medical assistant noticed the patient’s home was very cold. In talking with the patient, they learned the home had no functioning heater. The situation may never have come to light during a traditional office visit.
“I was able to make a referral to Community Health Plan of Washington (CHPW), letting them know the circumstances of this patient,” said Ramirez. “They were a CHPW patient, and they had one of their community health care workers go buy a heater and drop it off to the patient.”
Over the past year, the program has helped reconnect some patients with care after long gaps between appointments. It has also helped identify fall risks, address memory concerns, and connect patients and caregivers with support ranging from physical therapy and behavioral health services to food assistance and durable medical equipment.
By bringing preventive care into the home, the program helps remove barriers that can make it difficult for older adults to stay connected to care. More importantly, it creates opportunities to identify concerns early, connect patients and caregivers with support, and help older adults continue living safely and independently in their own homes.