Eldercare

Medicare does a good job of taking care of the elderly once they are ill, but the seven-year-old program provides little in the way of regular preventive care. A 67-bed community hospital in Prosser (pop. 3,000), in southeastern Washington, has come up with a unique service to fill this gap. It provides those over 65 with monthly checkups at a bargain-basement price of only $6 per year.

The key to the Prosser plan lies in using the institution's staff and facilities at off times. "Hospitals have peak periods when all of the personnel are at work," explains Hospital Administrator Larry Mclntyre, who developed the plan with the institution's chief of staff, Dr. Gustav Bansmer. "But there are other times when a lot of them are just standing around, so when we utilize that time there is no added cost." To take advantage of these slack periods, the hospital requires patients to make appointments in advance.

The hospital further increases efficiency by scheduling only one kind of examination each month. Last month's exam consisted of chest X rays; this month's will involve blood tests and urinalysis. For women, the March checkup will include Pap smears, which help detect cervical cancer, and men will undergo prostate examinations. Leg and foot examinations are scheduled for April, while eye examinations are planned for May. The 12-month cycle will start again next January.

Social Occasion. If test results indicate that a patient needs treatment, he is immediately referred to his own physician. Bansmer believes that the monthly examinations will enable doctors to detect early signs of illness in patients who frequently do not get regular checkups. In addition, many members of Prosser's eldercare program look forward to the monthly hospital outings as social occasions that give them a chance to see friends.

The Prosser plan has already enrolled 362 elderly people, many of whom are attracted by the low cost. "When you get older, you have to watch your pennies," says Mrs. Helen Erickson, 69. "You would be surprised at how many people over 65 wouldn't even think of going for a checkup." Other hospitals have expressed interest in copying the program. Prosser Memorial Hospital has had inquiries from health officials across the nation, and officials of two nearby hospitals are so impressed that they are thinking about setting up a Prosser plan in their own communities.

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