Healthcare Collaboration
Care Coordination and Case Management | Care Transitions | Evidence Based Programs and Services | Self-Management Plans and Flags | Northwest Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program | Other Resources and Information
Better Care, Lower Costs
Across the nation, communities are organizing around “the quadruple aim”:
- Better care for individuals
- Better health for populations
- Lower per capita health care costs
- Improve the work life of health care providers
Aging and Disability Services (ADS) and other Area Agencies on Aging can help provide better health care for Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries—and others—at significantly lower cost by coordinating transitional care and longer-term interventions for high-risk patients with multiple medical and social needs.
Click on the headings below for more information.
Care Coordination and Case ManagementADS provides in-person support for high-risk patients with multiple medical and social needs. Screening and assistance enrolling in services is available through Community Living Connections.
Care Coordination
Aging and Disability Services (ADS) provides short-term case management for patients who are unable to access services on their own, and who have no one in their support system to help them understand their options and obtain services in the community. This can include patients who are transitioning home from a hospital stay or time in other care settings. Care Coordinators engage patients in a face-to-face assessment, then partner with the patient to develop and implement an individualized service plan.
Case Management
ADS is contracted by Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to provide long-term case management and other services to medically complex Medicaid clients in Seattle-King County. Case management includes a comprehensive in-home assessment, service planning and authorization for in-home supports. Case managers have regular follow-up contact with clients and service providers to ensure that needs are being met.
Hospitalizations contribute significantly to the cost of health care—costs borne by insurance companies, taxpayers (Medicaid and Medicare), patients, and families—and take an emotional toll on patients and their families. ADS works across health and human service providers to decrease avoidable hospital admissions and healthcare utilization.
HealthierHere, the Accountable Community of Health for King County, is working across medical, behavioral health, social service, and the community to improve the health and wellbeing of King County residents. This includes work to promote safe and successful transitions. Aging and Disability Services is represented on the HealthierHere Board of Directors. Learn more and get involved by visiting their website HealthierHere.
Aging and Disability Services works collaboratively with King County Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) to fund evidence-based interventions that positively impact patient outcomes in the areas of chronic disease self-management, health promotion, and falls prevention. Screening and assistance enrolling in services is available through Community Living Connections.
- Enhance Fitness/Enhance Wellness
- Falls Prevention
- King County Caregiver Support Network
- Living Well: A Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
- PEARLS and PEARLS for Veterans
Aging and Disability Services collaborates with community partners, including hospitals, Medicare QIOs, and various professional disciplines, to develop patient education materials for
common chronic health conditions.
Self Management Plans
Our Self-Management Plans include flags and Personal Health Records that help patients track providers, medications, and questions for their health care team.
Flags are categorized by three colors: Green flags indicate health, Yellow flags indicate warnings, and Red flags indicate emergencies.
- Advance Planning
- Alcohol Use and Liver Disease
- Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD)
- Anticoagulant Health
- Anticoagulants-New Oral Medications
- Anxiety Management
- Arthritis and Your Health
- Asthma (Russian) (Spanish)
- Brain Health (Russian) (Spanish)
- Caregiver Stress
- Cellulitis
- Clostridium difficile (C.diff)
- Cholesterol
- Chronic Pain (Russian) (Spanish)
- Congestive Heart Failure (Russian) (Spanish) (Simplified Chinese) (Tagalog) (Traditional Chinese) (Vietnamese)
- COPD (Russian) (Spanish) (Traditional Chinese) (Vietnamese)
- Diabetes (Russian) (Spanish) (Tagalog) (Simplified Chinese) (Traditional Chinese) (Vietnamese)
- Digestive Health
- Eye Health
- Foot Care (Russian) (Spanish)
- Hearing
- Heart Disease (Russian) (Spanish) (Simplified Chinese) (Traditional Chinese) (Vietnamese)
- High Blood Pressure
- Kidney Health (Hemodialysis)
- Kidney Health (Non-Dialysis)
- Medicines and Your Health (Korean) (Russian) (Spanish) (Simplified Chinese) (Traditional Chinese) (Vietnamese)
- Mind Memory and Your Health (Russian) (Spanish)
- Mobility-Falls Prevention (Russian) (Spanish)
- Mobility-Falls Prevention (Low Literacy)
- Mood and Depression (Russian) (Spanish) (Tagalog)
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Nutrition-Healthy Eating
- Oral Health (Russian) (Simplified Chinese) (Spanish) (Traditional Chinese)
- Oral Health (Low Literacy)
- Osteoarthritis (Russian) (Spanish)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Pneumonia
- Respiratory Health During Wildfire Smoke Exposure
- Skin Health
- Sleep
- Sleep Apnea
- Smoking, Tobacco and Your Health (Simplified Chinese) (Traditional Chinese) (Vietnamese)
- Social Connectivity (Russian) (Spanish)
- Stroke
- Urinary System and Your Health
- Weight Management
- What Matters Most: Your Life, Your Choices (Advance Planning) (Russian) (Spanish)
Each of these Self-Management Plans can be printed on 11×17 paper. They are available for use by any organization by request and may be modified, adapted, or built upon for publication if credit is given to Aging and Disability Services. Your Feedback is appreciated.
Special thanks to Harborview Medical Center, Highline Medical Center, Northwest Kidney Centers, Qualis Health, Valley Medical Center, and Washington Dental Service Foundation for their input.
Personal Health Record
- Personal Health Record (English) (Low Literacy)
- Personal Health Record (Korean)
- Personal Health Record (Russian)
- Personal Health Record (Simplified Chinese)
- Personal Health Record (Spanish)
- Personal Health Record (Tagalog)
- Personal Health Record (Traditional Chinese)
- Personal Health Record(Vietnamese)
Clinical Support
Aging and Disability Services, in collaboration with the Northwest Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Center, aims to positively impact the healthcare system for older patients and their families through targeted outreach and education.
A Primary Care Liaison is available to meet with primary care teams, discuss programs offered to patients in our community, and provide ongoing support to clinical and support staff. Connect with our Primary Care Liaison to arrange a meeting or presentation with your clinical team.
Patient Resources
Healthcare providers can link patients and their families to services quickly and easily through Community Living Connections. Direct referrals can be made via phone or secure email and an advocate will follow up with the patient. Connect with our Primary Care Liaison for more details.
Falls Prevention
- AgeWise King County Article: Falls Prevention: Something a Community Can Agree On (July 2018)
Medicare/Medicaid
- ADS Stakeholder Briefing on Duals (March, 27, 2013)
- Washington State Health Care Authority: Basic Health-Healthy Options Managed Care for Low-Income Clients
- DSHS Aging and Disability Services Administration: Medicare/Medicaid Integration Project
- Integrated Care Resource Center: State Proposals – Financial Alignment Models Note: Each proposal includes an Invitation for Public Comment.
- Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc: Health Homes: Opportunities for Medicaid
- Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc: Initial Considerations to Guide the Development of Medicaid Health Homes
- Health Care Reform, Medicaid Expansion and Access to Alcohol/Drug Treatment: Opportunities for Disability Prevention , by David Mancuso, PhD and Barbara Felver, MPA, MES, in collaboration with DSHS (October 2010). Given the planned expansion of Medicaid and shift in financial incentives for reimbursement, alcohol and drug treatment will be critical to meeting the objectives of maintaining and improving health status for people who have not yet become disabled.
Hot Spots
- Frontline Video: Doctor HotSpot (May 13, 2011)
- The New Yorker: The Hot Spotters: Can we lower medical costs by giving the neediest patients better care? (January 24, 2011)
Other Resources
- Geriatric Healthcare Lecture Series: Practical lectures streamed across the WWAMI region targeting anyone in the health care field with over 70 free lectures archived online.
- Area Agency on Aging Roles in Geriatric Healthcare Presentation (January 3, 2017)
- Managed Care and the Aging Network in Washington State: Health Reform and Area Agencies on Aging: Presentation by ADS director Jesse Eller at the W4A 2012 Strategic Planning Retreat (April 9, 2012)
- The Atlantic: 10 Ways to Visualize How Americans Spend Money on Health Care, Derek Thompson (March 19, 2012)
- Public Health Seattle-King County: Health Care Reform Integration Committee A partnership effort to identify innovative integration models for mental Health, chronic disease management and primary care.
- Partnership for Patients: Aging and Disability Services has pledged to support the decrease of preventable hospital-acquired conditions (injuries and illness) and help decrease prevent complications during transition from one care setting to another.
For free, confidential access to aging network services in Seattle-King County, contact Community Living Connections.