Service Navigation: Helping Older Adults & Caregivers Navigate Community Services

Transcript

• 00:15So the way I look
• 00:17at a service navigator is
• 00:19it's someone that helps older
• 00:20adults,
• 00:21their caregivers,
• 00:23and people with disabilities get
• 00:24connected to programs and services.
• 00:27By using a person centered
• 00:29approach, we're really to able
• 00:31to identify what the person
• 00:32wants
• 00:33and what matters most to
• 00:35them. And by using that
• 00:36information,
• 00:37we're able to develop some
• 00:39ideas of resources that might
• 00:41be out there to help
• 00:41them. Service navigation is needed
• 00:44because individuals
• 00:46don't always know what's out
• 00:47there in the community to
• 00:48help them. So,
• 00:50partnering with
• 00:51organizations like Yale is very
• 00:53important for that individual.
• 00:55They get the medical care
• 00:57that they need and the
• 00:58resources. Some of the things
• 00:59that we can offer to
• 01:00connect them with are things
• 01:01like transportation,
• 01:03Meals on Wheels services,
• 01:05but also
• 01:06state programs like the Connecticut
• 01:08Home Care Program for the
• 01:09Elders or the Community First
• 01:11Choice Program. Really evolved from
• 01:13a program we had in
• 01:14our geriatric assessment clinic, the
• 01:16Adler Center,
• 01:17working with the agency,
• 01:20on aging in South Central
• 01:21Connecticut. The patients and families
• 01:23found it invaluable.
• 01:24And we meet with them
• 01:25in many different places.
• 01:27Right now with our partnerships
• 01:28with Yale, sometimes it's in
• 01:30an emergency room or at
• 01:32a clinic location in the
• 01:33community, in the hospital when
• 01:35they're inpatient. But also, we
• 01:37meet with people when they're
• 01:38at their home at times,
• 01:40over the phone if they're
• 01:41not comfortable with a home
• 01:42visit. So, really, we're able
• 01:44to meet with them wherever
• 01:45is they're most comfortable,
• 01:47and where it's needed most
• 01:49at the moment. It's kind
• 01:49of a one stop shopping,
• 01:51approach. So there are so
• 01:53many different agencies and so
• 01:54many different services available in
• 01:56the community,
• 01:57and I think the key
• 01:58is having someone to help
• 01:59them find kind of the
• 02:00right type of services for
• 02:02them in their location and
• 02:03that they're eligible for. Just
• 02:05an example of how
• 02:07a service navigator could could
• 02:09impact
• 02:10someone. I find people have
• 02:12applied for programs numerous times,
• 02:15but have been denied because
• 02:16of of the process of
• 02:18applying for that program.
• 02:20So I've had successes where
• 02:22I've been able to meet
• 02:22with that person and help
• 02:24them gather the bank statements,
• 02:26the divorce decrees, all that
• 02:28information that was needed and
• 02:30successfully get them approved
• 02:32to get some help in
• 02:32the home for them. And
• 02:34I think one
• 02:42support system within the agency
• 02:44on aging south central Connecticut
• 02:45when it comes to, offering
• 02:47caregivers
• 02:48training,
• 02:50support services.
• 02:51There is some funding that
• 02:52is available to provide respite
• 02:54to caregivers. That's a huge
• 02:56piece of this puzzle.
• 02:57If the caregivers aren't supported,
• 02:59then a lot of our
• 03:00individuals are not supported. But
• 03:02because our relationship doesn't have
• 03:03to be a one time
• 03:04only, we see you today,
• 03:06you leave the office, we
• 03:07never talk to you again,
• 03:08we're gonna follow-up and say,
• 03:10how are you?
• 03:11Where are you in the
• 03:12process? Can I help you
• 03:13with anything to get you
• 03:14to the other side? Really,
• 03:16until we've made sure that
• 03:17those services and programs are
• 03:18in place. The program has
• 03:20more than lived up to
• 03:20everything we hope for in
• 03:22terms of doing it and
• 03:23has really also shown us
• 03:25new ways,
• 03:26in areas in which,
• 03:28these services can be applied
• 03:29and be extremely valuable,
• 03:31to patients and families.