Knowing how best to help older area residents is the goal of a new group, the Greene County Health Provider Network for the Elderly Population, or HPN. The group formed in October as a way to get to know each and what services each has available.
Toni Linberg, director of marketing and admissions at Regency Park Nursing and Rehab Center in Jefferson, spearheaded the group. The HPN is modeled after similar groups in Polk and Dallas counties she had contact with in helping families with admissions. “There’s a need for communication between all of us. We need back and forth dialogue,” Linberg said.
The group is open to anyone who has an interest in elder healthcare and services, including staff at the various facilities and agencies, in-home care providers, providers of supplies, and non-profit groups. The HPN has brought together staff from Regency Park, Greene County Medical Center and The Gardens, along with Elderbridge, the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP), RSVP 55+, several aging advocacy groups, hospice providers, counselors and more.
Between 40 and 50 persons attend the monthly meetings. Each meeting includes introductions, a speaker on a topic of interest, and time for conversation. “As we go around the room introducing ourselves, it happens often that someone says ‘Oh, I need to talk with you.’ It’s that sharing of information that we’re after,” Linberg said.
The monthly meeting reminder includes an attachment listing providers and contact information, with room for notes. The listing is updated as often as needed. That information, collected in one place, can be a good tool for providers fielding questions from older residents, or from their children who may not live in the area. “It can be frustrating trying to get the help a parent needs when you don’t live here and you don’t know where to go. Ideally, everyone in the network should have information about what everyone else can offer,” she said.
Linberg and some of the HPN members also attend meetings of the Greene County Community Resource Council. That group, while valuable, is geared more toward services for children and families, Linberg said. The new HPN focuses on elder needs and services.
The HPN meets the second Thursday of each month at the Greene County Community Center. Persons who would like more information can contact Linberg at Regency Park.
