As cold winter arrives, care brings warm affection. To fully implement elder-respecting and elder-caring initiatives and deliver hospital care to local seniors, the Geriatrics Department of our hospital, together with Lougang Community Healthcare Center, recently visited Yuenianhua Nursing Home in our jurisdiction to provide on-site medical services and bring warmth to elderly residents.

Geriatric medical staff and community family doctors with seniors at Yuenianhua Nursing Home

On January 12, Director Wang Yanping of the Geriatrics Department led the department’s medical and nursing staff as well as the family doctor team from Lougang Community Healthcare Center to conduct joint ward rounds for seniors receiving care at Yuenianhua Nursing Home. The team learned about the seniors’ physical conditions and medical demands, followed up with those previously discharged after rehabilitation in our Geriatrics Department, and realized seamless continuous care coordinated with family doctors to better serve local elderly residents.

A 91-year-old senior with multiple geriatric illnesses was hospitalized in the Geriatrics Department and discharged after condition improvement

Director Wang Yanping conducts follow-up physical examination for the discharged senior

Director Wang Yanping and the medical team conducted detailed medical inquiries, physical examinations and reviewed previous test reports to fully grasp each senior’s health status. They answered questions raised by seniors, their family members and nursing staff on the spot, and provided targeted medical guidance and suggestions.

After comprehensive geriatric assessment, the Geriatrics Department communicated the illness conditions with family members of seniors requiring hospitalization, and coordinated with relevant hospital departments to arrange subsequent treatment, simplifying medical procedures for the elderly.

Medical and nursing staff carried out thorough physical examinations with attention paid to every detail. They analyzed triggers of various health issues ranging from diet and sleep disorders to skin rashes in long-term bedridden seniors, and offered guidance on medication and daily care. Apart from routine health management of seniors in elderly care institutions, upgrading on-site medical capacity of nursing homes will be an important path to guarantee accessible medical care for the elderly.

After the ward rounds, Director Wang Yanping of the Geriatrics Department reported problems found during the visit to the management and medical staff of Yuenianhua Nursing Home, and put forward improvement proposals to further elevate its medical and nursing service capacity.

As the contracted institution of the Integrated Medical, Rehabilitation and Elderly Care Consortium of Yuenianhua Nursing Home, Songgang People’s Hospital arranges regular family doctor consultations via its affiliated Lougang Community Healthcare Center. Specialists from the Geriatrics Department conduct monthly ward rounds, and a dedicated WeChat group has been established for instant medical consultation. Seniors at the nursing home can receive specialist medical services without leaving the facility for more convenient medical treatment. A green admission channel has been opened between the nursing home and our Geriatrics Department to resolve hospitalization difficulties for elderly residents.

In the future, the Geriatrics Department of our hospital will cooperate with community healthcare centers to give full play to the advantages of the Integrated Medical, Rehabilitation and Elderly Care Consortium and boost high-quality integrated elderly care development. Relying on monthly joint ward rounds as well as online WeChat and telephone communication channels, the hospital will keep abreast of the physical conditions of seniors in nursing homes, safeguard their health, and help every elderly resident enjoy a happy and healthy old age.