This week’s podcast is an interview with Dr. Jane Potter, the director of the Home Instead Center for Successful Aging (HICSA) on the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus in Omaha, Nebraska. No immediate family connection but we both traced our ancestors back to England. Maybe we both do have some connection to Harry. Just kidding. But the interview was magical in a way.
I must say that Dr. Potter was just absolute delight to interview. Her positive energy, generosity and genuine love for her work with older adults was quite apparent throughout our time together. She has touched many lives during her lifelong commitment and dedication to the University of Nebraska Medical Center Geriatric Program.
Dr. Potter and I discuss her professional journey and her mentors that inspired her vision for a new model for geriatric care. During the interview she describes her vision for the integration of wellness and ongoing exercise program to enhance the quality of life of older adults. She sees that in smaller communities that hospitals and physical therapy clinics are uniquely positioned to offer successful aging exercise programs.
Dr. Potter received her M.D. from Creighton School of Medicine and completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at George Washington University Hospital. I found it fascinating that she tributes a family physician in a small rural practice in Nebraska and her exposure to inter professional training of medical students in geriatrics in London as key influences that shaped her medical career.
Dr. Potter continues to see patients and provide the leadership of the HICSA where she is able to lead a collaborative delivery of care to older adults. Her vision for medical education includes geriatric physicians, nurses, psychiatrists, pharmacists, physical therapists and exercise specialists. Each discipline learning from each other and working together to address the varied physical, mental, social and spiritual needs of the geriatric population. I couldn’t help but think that this model similar to the care model she was exposed to as a medical student while in England decades earlier.
The team at HICSA provides geriatric care and education to older adults throughout Nebraska and provides educational opportunities to UNMC students and residents exposing the students the rich and rewarding experience of caring for older adults in a community setting and not just in the hospital.
I believe as you listen to her interview you will be inspired to increase your communication and cooperation with other health professionals and community resources as you care for your older patients.
I want publicly thank Dr. Jane Potter for granting us this interview midst her busy schedule. She is as genuine in person and she sounds. She is brilliant and has those Midwestern values that make her very approachable and someone you’d like to spend more time with.
My take aways from Dr. Potter’s interview were to:
- Keep communicating with physicians and other care providers on the exercise status of our patients. Exercise compliance is a new vital sign.
- Seek out opportunities to work collaboratively with physicians. Community health fairs, speaking opportunities and free health clinics
- Keep the chain coordinated care going to exercise specialist in the community with handing off home exercise programs with contraindications.
I spoke with her administrative assistant and we are arranging an appointment at a future date to interview the therapists who provide services at the Center for Successful Aging. I think it would be interesting to hear their perspective on the inter professional cooperation and communications.
So that ends today’s podcast. I would sure appreciated your help to make this podcast a success and useful to you and other therapists. It is my desire to build a community of therapists from all over the world who want to connect, collaborate, and inspire one another to live out our passions and impact patient’s lives.
I would really appreciate you sending me a comment on the FunctionalFreedom.org blog or send me an email at ppotter@functionalfreedom.org with any suggestions you have to improve the podcast. Or if you have any expert or inspirational older patient that would be a great interview I’d love to have their contact information.
So until next time remember, You don’t stop moving because you get older but you get older because you stop moving. So get out there and keep moving forward.
Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an incredibly long comment
but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr…
well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say excellent blog!
Hey Cheryl,
So sorry about the loss of your comment. Thanks for taking the time anyway and the positive feedback. If there is a topic you want covered just send me an email. Paul