Three years ago, when Vivian Rogers moved into her one-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath residence at Siena Lakes, the Erickson Senior Living community in Naples, Fla., she was using a concierge doctor as her primary care physician.
Shortly after settling in, Vivian visited the community’s on-campus medical center, meeting the staff members and speaking with Medical Director Dr. Tom Morris.
“I was so impressed, I switched,” she recalls.
Now, not only is Vivian happier with the care she receives, but she also saves the $5,000 a year she was paying for the concierge service.
Trusted experts
Vivian appreciates the convenience of having the medical center right in the community, as well as the opportunity for same-day appointments.
“They always get me right in,” she says.
But what she values most is that Morris and the health care team focus on senior care, so they’re more likely to catch issues others wouldn’t.
While at an appointment with Morris, Vivian mentioned she was having pain in her shoulders and hips that had come on quickly. He initially thought it was due to a medicine she was taking and suggested she temporarily stop it. However, after thinking about it some more, he said he wanted to check her for a condition called polymyalgia.
“Any other doctor that I’ve been to would have been out the door and into the next exam room,” she says. It turned out that she did have polymyalgia, and he prescribed a treatment. “I was in a lot of pain. But after two days on the medicine, it was gone, and I felt fabulous!”
Integrated care
In addition to annual wellness and same-day appointments, residents can schedule telehealth check-ins and residence visits.
Residents who continue to see their current primary care providers can still use the medical center for flu shots, tests and screenings as needed. By simply scheduling an annual appointment with a Siena Lakes physician, those residents can ensure that the team is knowledgeable about their overall health, medications, and preexisting conditions.
And because Siena Lakes is managed by Erickson Senior Living, residents have access to Erickson Health Medical Group, one of the nation’s largest and most integrated health and wellness systems for older adults.
“If there is something I question, I have access to knowledgeable doctors with senior experience through Erickson Health Medical Group,” says Morris. “Here, it’s like small town practice where we get to know everybody, but we have the backing of a larger medical group.”
A dedicated team
Having an engaged team of medical professionals dedicated to your health results in a greater quality of care.
Morris, who has worked for Erickson Senior Living for 18 years, notes that the close connections staff members develop with residents allow them to provide better care.
“The relationships we develop are so crucial. We know people well enough that we can tell if something’s just not right because we know them and their histories,” he says.
Morris remembers a time when a resident thought he was having indigestion and called Siena Lakes’ security team, whose members are trained in emergency response. When the security team reached out to Morris, he knew the resident and knew it wasn’t indigestion–it was a heart attack.
“He was able to get to the hospital and receive treatment in 35 minutes; that’s unbelievable,” Morris says. “That only happened because we knew the person. If you were living in your house rather than here, you wouldn’t have access to that kind of team effort.”
‘Don’t have to worry’
Morris notes that this compassionate, personalized care is what makes Siena Lakes’ medical center stand out.
“This makes a huge difference in resident care. We’re allowed plenty of time in our visits. Initial visits are an hour long, and routine follow-ups are a half hour. Those numbers are almost unheard of now,” he explains. “Having this time is a big differentiator with our residents’ care.”
Vivian, who has four daughters living in different areas around the country, says, “They’re all just thrilled I’m here, and that I have this kind of care. They don’t have to worry, and that’s great!”
To learn more about the benefits of moving to a maintenance-free community, request more information today.
