| Description |
The purpose of the Partnership for Rural Elderly was to provide
direct rehabilitation, consultation, and educational services to a
population of rural and low-income elderly citizens in northern
Georgia who did not otherwise have access to such care. Recent
changes in health care delivery in the region had a profound effect
on the area’s elderly citizens.
The elderly population in Georgia
grew substantially between 1995 and 1997, at a rate of 5.8 percent.
However, during the same period, three contiguous counties
(Dawson, Hall, and Lumpkin) experienced a growth rate in their
elderly population of 14 percent—3 times the statewide rate. This
rural region was designated an underserved area, which is
underscored by the fact that Dawson County is the only county in
the State without any health care facility. |
| Services offered |
The Partnership for Rural Elderly used graduate students in the
nurse practitioner and physical therapy programs at North Georgia
College and State University (NGCSU) to provide a broad network
of support and services for elderly residents in Georgia’s Dawson,
Hall, and Lumpkin Counties. The project used 150 nursing and
physical therapy graduate students and 8 faculty members. The
students enrolled, assessed, served, and followed up with rural
elderly clients and facilitated the delivery of additional services
with area providers.
The Partnership for Rural Elderly offered a
wide range of rehabilitation, consultation, and education services,
including home safety evaluations, home safety maintenance,
construction of wheelchair ramps and handrails inside or outside of
clients’ homes, transportation, aquatic therapy, client advocacy, a
walking program, a creative movement program, an exercise
program, client/student education opportunities, rehabilitation
evaluation services, network referrals, medication assistance,
caretaker training, wellness activities, and numerous other
programs.
The consortium for this project included the NGCSU Physical
Therapy and Nursing Departments, Programs Assisting Community
Elderly, Inc., the Gainesville Aid Project, and the State Area
Agency on Aging (also known as Legacy Link). However, as the
project matured, the original network found itself involved with more than a dozen other agencies in the region, expanding the depth
and breadth of services available to the region’s elderly citizens.
The use of graduate students in the fields of nursing and
physical therapy was the project’s most innovative feature. In fact,
student participation in the program was required as part of the
university’s curriculum, which meant that caring for the region’s
elderly was a prerequisite for degree completion.
One of the biggest challenges faced by the program was that a
large number of elderly clients requested services that were far
beyond the scope of the project. For example, some clients asked
students to modify their trailer homes, to give them money for
transportation, to pay family members who were primary
caregivers, to supply respite care, and to provide financial
assistance for prescription drugs and medical bills. The inability to
meet all client needs frustrated both the clients and the students.
The project worked closely with county governments, local medical
administrators, physicians, and leaders of area civic organizations
to make them more aware of the kinds of challenges experienced by
the region’s elderly citizens in day-to-day life and to develop
solutions to help meet those needs. |
