The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #39448

Judith Statsinger, MPH, Council for Jewish Elderly, 3003 W. Touhy Avenue, Chicago, IL 60645, 773 381-6010, judy.statsinger@cje.net

Partners in Care is a multi-site study evaluating the psychosocial health outcomes and health services utilization of adults, 65 years and older, who have had social work services available to them through their primary care providers over the course of a year. Since June 2000, approximately 1500 adult patients, from 11 sites in the Chicago and downstate Illinois areas, have consented to a series of 45-minute screening interviews consisting of the Geriatric Depression Scale, MMSE, Seven Minute Screen, Medical Outcomes Short Form, Lawton Activities of Daily Living, Hassles Scale and others. In the seven treatment sites, patients with positive screens for depression, sleep, medication management, frequent falls and cognitive problems are signaled for social worker interventions. There are no social workers in the four control sites. Preliminary baseline data indicates higher than expected rates of cognitive problems and depression (40% vs. 27%). Social work activities and interventions are guided by clinical supervision provided by Licensed Clinical Social Workers and project protocols.Project presentation will include description of the social work interventions and the study population at baseline, six-month and 12-month outcomes for most of the study sample. The project intervention is scheduled for completion in April 2003. This project is sponsored by the Council for Jewish Elderly and funded by the Michael Reese Health Foundation, Retirement Research Foundation, Illinois Department on Aging, and many others.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the participant in this session will be able to
• list important assessment tools for mental and social assessment of the older adult
• articulate common problems in trying to integrate psycho-social and physical healthcare paradigms.
• apply lessons learned and useful tools for implementing a program in other settings.

Keywords: Frail Elderly, Behavioral Research

Related Web page: www.cje.net

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.