Build It and They Will Come: Interdisciplinary Wellness Clinics in Low-Income Senior Housing

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose The purpose of this study was to describe the first 4 months of implementation of the University of Maryland Interdisciplinary Wellness Clinic (UM-IWC). The UM-IWC provided health care services that are difficult for older adults in low-income senior housing communities to access. Design This was a descriptive study including four low-income communities. Methods Measures included health information, participation, and services provided. Findings A total of 165 residents were seen (44%). The residents were mostly female (80%), Black (63%), and non-Hispanic (83%), with an average age of 77 years. We provided 253 patient visits with 98 residents seen once, 38 twice, 19 three times, and 10 four times. Visits included 165 intake assessments, 61 immunizations, 193 blood pressure checks, 28 foot care treatments, 12 cerumen removals, 12 completions of advance directives, 14 Annual Wellness Visits, and 3 home visits for acute medical problems. Conclusions There was strong engagement of the residents, and we were able to provide a large number of services that were not easily accessible to these individuals. Future work will focus on increasing and maintaining the engagement of residents and sustainability of the clinics.