How a Clinic in Guanacaste Helps Seniors Regain Mobility

InSHAPE provides access to tailored health and fitness programs for people living with serious mental illnesses, helping them quit drinking and smoking, learn about nutrition and build a sense of community through gym memberships and workout groups. InSHAPE has been operating for 20 years, and studies show 60% of participants have clinically significant improvements in their physical health after a year in the program.

House calls are not new to the medicine field, but they are becoming more predominant as doctors look for ways to expand access to those that aren't able to make it into an office. Focusing mostly on "disabled, chronically ill, elderly, and other at-risk populations," doctors are utilizing technological advancements to bring the care to the patient, a practice that also allows them a chance to assess their home situation.

Throughout the Untied States there are many rural areas that do not have quick access to hospitals or other means of healthcare, so some providers are turning to repurposing abandoned buildings into clinics. Focusing on populations that often are overlooked in the health care industry, such as the elderly, homeless or uninsured, these clinics aim to increase health equity amongst all underserved populations.

In S. King County, Wash., the organization Global to Local identified Seattle's ironic status as being a global-health center but having an increasingly unhealthy populace. Global to Local pointed local citizens to a variety of services, using a "connect the dots" approach to treatment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury-related mortality. Naxolone, a drug used to revive overdose victims, is only available by prescription. However, private organizations have distributed Naxolone kits nationally, showing that the drug can save lives when it is more readily accessible.

Over the past several years, Lithuania has implemented a comprehensive national strategy to combat high suicide rates by shifting from a medicalized approach to community-based support. One such strategy is Sidabrinė Linija, or Silver Line, a nonprofit offering free support to isolated seniors by matching them with a “befriender” who shares some of their interests. Since its inception, Silver Line has befriended 6,000 seniors. As a result of combined efforts from multiple initiatives, Lithuania’s suicide rate has dropped from 44 per 100,000 residents in 2004 to 19.5 per 100,000 today.

The Castle Center provides adults with dementia in need of assistance care during the day. Open five days a week, the center offers participants meals, medication monitoring, personal care assistance with the help of nurses and volunteers, socialization and activities like arts and crafts. The Center also offers time off for caregivers — like family members — who often care for people with dementia 24/7.

The Michigan LGBTQ+ Elders Network (MiGen) works to provide aging LGBTQ+ adults with necessary healthcare, like long-term care facilities. The Network also offers culturally responsive training for adult care providers.

The Arizona Health Department delivers COVID-19 tests, vaccinations and other medical services to underserved, low-income communities via mobile vans, pop-up clinics and in-home services for those who struggle to access health care. Since the mobile program started in 2021, more than 140,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered.

The RECOVERY Rehabilitation Center provides rehabilitation care for wounded soldiers. Providers at the center provide patients with specialized care and help to create individual action plans for when patients leave the center to ensure they have the means to adapt to their new way of life.