Southcentral Foundation Age-Friendly Care for Elder Customer-Owners

Southcentral Foundation Aging-Well initiative assists customer-owners in accessing
resources to promote wellness for older adults.

By SCF Public Relations Specialist Esther Robertson

Honoring and taking care of Elders is a universal Alaska Native and American Indian cultural value. As an Alaska Native-owned-and-operated health care organization, Southcentral Foundation strives to support the health and wellness of the Elder customer-owner population with a holistic, customer-driven, and evidence-based approach.

Aging Well is a system-wide approach that builds on the foundation of robust services and resources SCF already has in place. The aim is to optimize care for older adults and promote wellness for customer-owners as they age. This is achieved by standardizing care delivery, improving communication across the system, and encouraging customer-owners to partner with their integrated care teams to create care plans tailored to what matters most to them.

SCF’s age-friendly care is customer driven, whole-person care, preventative and proactive, and includes customer-owner support systems. The Aging Well approach provides a wide variety of resources in the form of education materials
on subjects such as home safety and other topics relevant to aging. Home safety is necessary to keep aging adults safe and independent in the home for as long as possible.

Resources provided by SCF support Elder customer-owners in creating and maintaining a safe environment in their homes through access to helpful activities and programs. Exercise for strength and conditioning classes are offered to support healthy living goals. SCF’s Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Exercise program provides personalized ways to prevent injury or recover from one. The program also provides opportunities for home and activity modifications to increase independence and safety. A community resource specialist will share added resources for home safety, including scheduling a home safety evaluation by the home visit team.

While home safety is one subject for Elder resources, there are many others covered by the Aging Well initiative, including advanced dementia, diabetes, heart health, pain management, and more. Customer-owners looking to get connected to resources may start by reaching out to their primary care teams.

To learn more about Aging Well or other Elder resources, visit bit.ly/3LHkbhj.