Geriatric Care Team

About

We are dedicated to providing patient-centered care to older adults across the care continuum and to advance Geriatric Medicine through interprofessional education and training.

Our mission is to help older adults lead healthier and more satisfying lives by improving their function and quality of life as much as possible. We achieve this by providing quality, comprehensive healthcare approach in a compassionate, ethical and culturally competent manner.

Office Leadership

Wael Hamade, MD
Chair, RUHS Geriatric Division
Associate Director, Elder Abuse Forensic Center for Riverside County
Faculty

Ivy Vu, Nurse Practitioner

Brenda Jerez-Aguilar, Nurse Practitioner

Shawna Lamb, Office Manager

The RUHS Difference

The Geriatric Care Team has partnered with the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS), Riverside County Adult Protective Services (APS), In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, and Office on Aging, in efforts to support the community. We are proud to be part of a countywide multidisciplinary team to advocate and investigate reports for the Elder Abuse.

Geriatric Medicine Services

Dementia and Geriatric Clinic: offer consultation and primary care services for patients with Memory impairment, Problem with gait, balance and Falls, Frailty, Polypharmacy, Deconditioning following hospitalization, End of Life Discussion and other Geri syndromes.

Outpatient Geriatric Clinic: Outpatient Consults for frail elderly patients with multiple comorbid conditions, lack of social support, dementia, falls, polypharmacy, poor living situations

• Consults provided for all county clinics – FQHC
• Primary Care for Geriatric patients
• Dual choice Wellness Visits for patients > 65 years of age
• Late Career Practitioner Evaluation
• Cognition Mobility Care Management Program
• Telemedicine Consult Services

Inpatient Geriatric Consult: collaborate with hospitalists and specialists (including geriatric trauma service).

Geriatric Home Program: involves a Geriatric Team comprising of a nurse, physician and possibly a social worker that goes out to the homes of the patients who are unable to come to the clinic for visits. This type of service gives the team an opportunity to observe the patient in their home environment and assess for safety, compliance and social support.

Geriatric Care Team (GCT): Started home visits in June 2019. Partnership formed with DPSS/APS and RUHS to help geriatric clients with limited resources get connected to healthcare. Conduct in-home medical needs assessment and education to geriatric and chronically disabled clients. Assessment and education may include the following:

1. Home visit checklist
   • Assessment of functional limitations (ADLs/IADLs)
   • Medication assessment Mobility and fall-risk assessment
   • Nutrition assessment
   • Psychosocial history
   • Vital signs
2. Cognitive assessment (e.g., Mini-Cog, MOCA)
3. Provide education/training to client and/or caregiver regarding the care of medical issues and carrying out physician orders
4. Preventive screening

Riverside County Elder Abuse Forensic Team: The Elder Abuse Forensic Center (EAFC) is a County/Community Service to combat Elder Abuse and Neglect. We assess the risk of elder abuse, self-neglect, and Caregiver burden, including the patient’s social situation and coordinate with APS and EAFC.

Education/ Training: Educational Training is also provided for the Residents from Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Medical Students, NP students and Pharmacy Residents.

Video Consultation between RUHS Geriatrician and CMCM and primary care providers in up to 11 outlying clinics for patients and caregivers of patients with dementia.

Cognition and Mobility Care Management Program: establishing new partnerships with community organizations and jointly support the development of effective interdisciplinary care teams. And to empower patients and caregivers, though assessment of cognition and mobility problems, education, community referrals, and of support navigating the health care system and social services.

GME/ Residency Program

The goal of the Geriatric Medicine Rotation at the Riverside University Health System in Moreno Valley, California, is to prepare trainees to be leaders in geriatric medicine through a wide variety of clinical and didactic experiences. Trainees will gain experience evaluating and treating patients with the full spectrum of diseases within geriatric specialty. And "team approach" is not a cliche here — it's a way of practicing medicine and caring for patients every day.

Unique program opportunities:

• Individualized areas of concentration. Working closely with a geriatric mentor to meet your personal professional goals and develop knowledge and skills needed for the area of concentration.
• Primary Care Geriatric Medicine Clinic. Trainees will care for a panel of older adults living in the community.
• Inpatient Geriatric Service / Geriatric Medicine Consult Service

Contact Information

Community Involvement

• Riverside C.A.R.E. Team (Moreno Valley City Hall) meets monthly
• Perris C.A.R.E. Team (Perris Sheriff Station)
• Homeless C.A.R.E. Team (Riverside)
• Desert C.A.R.E. Team (Palm Desert Sheriff Station) meets monthly

Caring for People with Dementia

Caring for People with Dementia

• Assessing Pain in Dementia (PDF | PDF - Spanish)
• Dealing with Dementia Behaviors (PDF | PDF - Spanish)
• How to Give Medicine to Someone With Dementia (PDF | PDF - Spanish)
• Personal Care for People with Dementia (PDF | PDF - Spanish)
• Wandering (PDF | PDF - Spanish)

Home Safety and Falls Prevention

• Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults (PDF)

• What YOU Can Do to Prevent Falls (PDF)

• AGEducate Home Caregiver Fall Log (PDF)

• Home Safety Issues Part I (PDF | PDF - Spanish)

• Home Safety Issues Part II (PDF | PDF - Spanish)

• Home Safety Issues Part III (PDF | PDF - Spanish)

Managing Caregiver Stress

• Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults (PDF)
• What YOU Can Do to Prevent Falls (PDF)
• AGEducate Home Caregiver Fall Log (PDF)
• Home Safety Issues Part I (PDF | PDF - Spanish)
• Home Safety Issues Part II (PDF | PDF - Spanish)
• Home Safety Issues Part III (PDF | PDF - Spanish)

Caregiver Pocket Guides

• Preventing Falls (PDF | PDF - Spanish)
• Watch and Report (PDF | PDF - Spanish)
• Managing Stress (PDF | PDF - Spanish)

Audio/Video Resources

• UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Video Series (English | Spanish)
• UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center Meditations (Link)
• AGEducate Online Learning Modules (Link)