While it’s no secret I work for Erickson Health, a service entity of Erickson Communities nationwide, I try to steer away from promoting our company services and instead offer opinions and views on various topics that affect our health: mental, emotional and physical. Occasionally, I slip and talk about company initiatives. This is one of those times. Why? I am instilled with pride in our company and its employees who constantly strive to make life better for the thousands of people who choose to live in one of our communities. They range in age from 62 to 90+. Our health services practice on the philosophy of the medical home model.
You hear a lot about that in the news today but its something we’ve been doing for years: offering comprehensive, coordinated care that keeps our residents living as independently and actively as they can in their apartment homes. Recently our company launched 2 new initiatives that speak to mental, emotional and physical health.

We all know the economy is the worst it’s been since the great depression. Yet, we still have people choosing to move into our communities. Why? Because financially, these people know that the services and amenities they receive are based on fixed amounts. It’s a great financial investment. There is a deposit, but it’s 100% refundable should the person move or die. Most people sell their homes and move in. The housing market is horrible. So how do we help them sell their homes and move? Recently US News and World Report posted how we do it on their site’s blog. Here is what they had to say:

“(Tom Neubauer is executive vice president for sales with Erickson Retirement Communities,) For Erickson, tough economic times for the auto industry three years ago turned its Detroit-area operations into an early warning system for the economic stresses that would affect many of its other markets. A pilot effort there to help people deal with a slow and declining housing market was later expanded companywide into Erickson Realty & Moving Services.

‘We become the advocate for the prospective resident,’ Neubauer says, offering services that include a personal moving consultant. ‘We handle the transition literally from their front door to our front door . . .’ The company screens area Realtors to identify those with success in the prospect’s neighborhood. The program also offers assistance in staging the home for sale, services to help the prospect downsize his or her household and then help with the actual move.

‘We’ve been able to help engender confidence that you can be successful even in these turbulent times,’ he says.” As a result of this initiative, we remove the stress and anxiety that comes with selling and moving. And people keep coming.

Just last week, we added a new service to help our residents who suffer from chronic disease that helps promote the medical home model without compromising their safety or health. From a recent press piece that appeared in the news, including the Wall Street Journal:

“The Intel® Health Guide, which received 510(k) market clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July, is a comprehensive personal health system that combines an in-home patient device - the Intel® Health Guide PHS6000 - as well as an online interface - the Intel® Health Care Management Suite - allowing clinicians to monitor patients in their homes and manage care remotely. …Our products will help address the challenges of an aging population and rising rates of chronic disease.

Its focus is on the ability to demonstrate improved health outcomes for conditions such as heart failure, diabetes, hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Health Guide promotes greater patient engagement and more efficient care management by enabling communication between patients and health care professionals and providing clinicians with access to the most current, actionable data.  It offers interactive tools for personalized care management and includes vital sign collection, patient reminders, surveys, multimedia educational content, and feedback and communications tools, such as video conferencing and alerts. Clinicians have ongoing access to data so that they can better manage each patient’s conditions while patients benefit from customized care.”

Erickson Health also is fully integrated into electronic medical records across its continuum of care. At a time when other health care organizations are struggling, we are extremely fortunate to have health care professionals who are not only experience in caring and treating those of us over 62 but who are also committed to providing the best care possible. When the nation is experiencing a trend in decreasing numbers of general practitioners and almost no geriatricians (those who solely practice for 65+), our numbers continue to grow. Why? Because the founder of this company, John Erickson, recognized the need to have the best health care possible. And, our doctors are paid a salary; they do not have to deal with billing and reimbursements. We have a central group that does that. Therefore, we took the business of healthcare out of the equation and put the care back into it.

Today, I just wanted to share the pride I feel in being part of this organization and, I wanted to say to others: yes we can. It can be done! Quality healthcare, positive outcomes, decreased costs can all be accomplished.