The Center for Healthy Aging Streamlines Care

Maria Carney, MD, is well-acquainted with the concerns of the Silver Tsunami—America’s large and growing aging population. As North Shore-LIJ’s director of community-based geriatric services, she works to preserve this diverse group’s longevity, wellness and independence.

Navigating and accessing resources can be overwhelming, so the Center for Healthy Aging provides a single place for individuals and their families to access care and find guidance. In our newest Leadership Series installment, Dr. Carney touches on the many concerns of aging individuals, their loved ones and their caregivers.

Question from interviewer: Tell me about the North Shore-LIJ Center for Healthy Aging. Why now? And what is this center going to do for the patient?

Dr. Carney: We created the Center for Healthy Aging to address aging issues. We are at an epicenter of an aging population. North Shore-LIJ has incredible services and programs in place to address their needs.... Yet many really don’t know the services exist.

The Center for Healthy Aging provides one place to access resources that address the issues. It also promotes longevity, clinical care programs and community resources to help one live independently and safely.

Q: You have an array of doctors and other services. How will they work together?

Dr. Carney: At North Shore-LIJ, we offer clinical programs and multidisciplinary geriatric and palliative care within the Department of Medicine. Our goal is to provide comprehensive medical care to help individuals live long and healthy [lives]. We know the community organizations that serve individuals, so that they can stay home and live independently with dignity. By having one Center for Healthy Aging, we can work with all of our partners to get patients the services they need.

Q: America has a growing aging population. Why aren’t other hospitals across the country doing this?

Dr. Carney: There are some excellent hospitals and health systems addressing this, and they are largely known as academic centers. Mount Sinai, NYU, UCLA, and right here in our backyard, we have the same services.

All of us deal with [aging issues] with our parents and loved ones. I get calls on a regular basis from friends and colleagues, about how to help them with these situations... While there are resources already in place, [families] do not have a way to access these services and information. That is largely what the Center for Healthy Aging aims to do.

For more of this interview, click here: http://bit.ly/1c4Oa1O