By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    healthcare cybersecurity
    4 Helpful Tips on How to Protect Your Medical Practice Against Cyber Attacks
    October 24, 2021
    Health Check Diagnosis Medical Condition Analysis Concept
    6 Health Woes With Online Remedies
    January 19, 2022
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    April 24, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    healthy nursing school habits
    Healthy Habits for Nursing Student Nursing School Students
    May 24, 2024
    High Deductables
    High-Deductible Insurance and Rising Bad Debt
    July 24, 2015
    How People Are Taking Advantage of Health Deals in the Recent Recession
    February 5, 2021
    Latest News
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Why Primary Care Physicians Are the Next Phase in CCRC Care
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > Geriatrics > Why Primary Care Physicians Are the Next Phase in CCRC Care
GeriatricsHome Health

Why Primary Care Physicians Are the Next Phase in CCRC Care

Kara Reynolds
Last updated: September 22, 2017 9:22 pm
Kara Reynolds
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) are experiencing a boom in residency, as more seniors with diverse needs prefer the residential alternative of an independent living unit. CCRC contracts often include health care access that a rental or ownership community would not, such as skilled nursing care. As resident health and social needs change, so must the services. Existing residential and health care services include:

  • Access to prescription drug and rehabilitation services.
  • Access to a physician and skilled nursing facility care for those who become briefly ill or need long-term care. Such care may be given through an on-site or off-site nursing facility affiliated with the CCRC. Caregivers at the CCRC do provide similar care as assisted living communities if needed, such as grooming, dressing, bathing and other daily living requirements. Yet, on-site care typically doesn’t include primary care.
  • Independent housing which includes meals, activities, transportation, housekeeping and maintenance.

CCRCs are valued by seniors for the benefits of independent living, but few address the full spectrum of health care necessary for many seniors. With the growing rate of CCRCs, many organizations are working with primary care doctors to add primary and other outside care as an internal service. These organizations are faced with challenges, but also with growing success, in an effort to adapt to the changing care needs of seniors. Integrating a Primary Care Model Selecting a primary care model may be a risky choice for an organization uncertain if it is economically feasible. It largely depends on whether the primary care service will be for-profit and whether clinicians will be employed or become partners in the corporation. Models that are residential may pair successfully with a physician or practice. However, a cooperative partnership or employed clinician could be a better fit due to existing financial models that are more secure with risk-sharing and cost-savings. Success has been found with practices that pair collaboratively with one or more CCRCs in a team-based strategy to meet care needs. Teams often must travel from site to site to break even, but it’s a model that’s working and being considered nationwide. In 2013, the Medicare Residential Care Coordination Act was introduced, which allows five states to construct and implement new models that feature health care and housing benefits for eligible CCRC housing members enrolled in Medicare Part A and B. This bill enables models to be created that would lower the total cost of care for seniors, decrease trips to the hospital and more, by integrating primary and post-acute care services into existing models. Seniors wouldn’t have to travel off campus to receive medical care. Salaried primary care physicians would lead the health care team, traveling from site to site. Jeff Petty, CEO of Wesley Enhanced Living, is a founder of such a primary care model, called WELShift. Often, no doctor is physically there on-site, but when a doctor is present to attend to patients, “more than 60 percent of hospitalizations were potentially avoidable nationwide,” according to Petty. If a resident has a health care issue in the middle of the night, the patient can’t reach their doctor over the phone and would have to visit the ER or wait to travel to a primary doctor. It could also be the case that the doctor would have a large gap between the patient’s visits, whereas an on-site doctor would be familiar with the patient and be readily accessible. On-Site Peace of Mind Seniors with chronic illnesses need more time per visit that existing health care infrastructures cannot provide. Accessible primary care on campus would solve that problem. More medical resources are consumed and more money spent by seniors than the rest of the population. Therefore, integrating primary care as an on-site service is a viable economic opportunity that benefits senior communities and residents alike. Dr. Stephen C. Schimpff asserts that a senior community can be a model for primary care. He cites a large developer of CCRCs that set the patient number per physician number low at 400 for their primary care physicians. Note that most of these physicians have an average of 2,500 patients under their care. 400 is an ideal number to ensure quality, empathetic and integrative care for geriatric patients. The number of patients is manageable, and overall health care costs are reduced. When a senior couple requires different levels of care, they do not have to be separated. They may receive individualized care only steps away from each other on the same campus, with primary care right there. Integrating primary care into existing health care models is the next phase of CCRC care. It’s a model that can prove cost-effective for both the CCRC and seniors, with the greater reward of allowing seniors to live an independent lifestyle and receive the full spectrum of health care they deserve.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Kara Reynolds
Follow:
Kara Reynolds is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Momish Magazine, an inclusive parenting magazine filled with parenting hacks, advice, and more to keep your beautiful family thriving. As a mom and stepmom, Kara hopes to normalize blended families and wants her readers to know that every family is beautiful and messy just how they are. When she's not writing, Kara enjoys pilates and likes a little coffee with her cream. Find more from Kara on Twitter @MomishMagazine.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025
recovering from injury
Rebuilding After Injury: Path to Physical and Emotional Recovery
News
June 22, 2025
scientist using microscope
When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
Global Healthcare
June 18, 2025

You Might also Like

medicare fraud
Health ReformHome HealthHospital AdministrationMedical EthicsMedical RecordsNewsPolicy & LawPublic Health

Keeping an Eye Out for Medical Fraud

December 16, 2013

Fight Senior Hunger Thanksgiving 2012

November 21, 2012
Home HealthWellness

Prion Proteins in Their Native State Can Inhibit the Formation of Amyloid Fibrils

December 9, 2017

LifeLongHealth.com – A Health-Oriented Social Network for Baby Boomers

October 13, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?