Geriatric Medicine
Contact Information
Inpatient
Contact Geriatric Team through the operator at (951) 486-4000 or 951-842-1013
Trauma service support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Outpatient
Clinic staff are available Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm to take your call at 951-337-3918
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.
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 for the Elderly in the Riverside County.
Why should I refer?
Caring for geriatric patients is challenging because of the complexity of chronic illnesses complicated by functional and cognitive impairments.
Geriatric specialists will help to choose care strategies that will consider not only the medical complexities but also psychosocial issues, functional and socioeconomic factors.
Our aim is to enhance quality of life and maintain older adults in the community at the most independent level as possible, through an interdisciplinary approach of comprehensive geriatric assessment.
Geriatric Medicine Services
Who should be referred?
Patients over the age of 65 may benefit from the services of a geriatric specialist if they are frail, or experience any of the following:
- Multiple health conditions or any behavioral health condition plus 3 other chronic physical health conditions such as diabetes, CHF, COPD, ASCVD or CVA
- Polypharmacy - taking multiple high-risk medications
- Memory impairment
- Frail Elderly - Functional decline, inability to perform usual activities of daily living
- Behavioral or mood changes, such as depression or anxiety
- Problems with balance or gait
- Falls
- Incontinence
- Unexplained weight loss or appetite disorders
- Deconditioning following hospitalization
- Requiring higher levels of care necessitating transition to alternative living settings
- End of life discussion
- Caregiver supports
We will or can assume primary care for any of the patients, as needed, if their care requires ongoing intervention or monitoring and meets our continuity clinic criteria.
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/annual 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 service line.
- Hip fracture pathway.
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:
- Home visit checklist
- Assessment of functional limitations (ADLs/IADLs)
- Medication assessment Mobility and fall-risk assessment
- Nutrition assessment
- Psychosocial history
- Vital signs
- Cognitive assessment (e.g., Mini-Cog, MOCA)
- Provide education/training to client and/or caregiver regarding the care of medical issues and carrying out physician orders
- 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.
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.
We are proud to partner with the University of California, Riverside (UCR) School of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program, UCR Internal Medicine residency program, United Health Services of Temecula, Keck Graduate Institute School of Pharmacy, and other programs, to train Residents, Medical Students, NP students and Pharmacy Residents.
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
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