Dorothy Adler Geriatric Assessment Center
Our center is one of the oldest and most comprehensive geriatric assessment centers in the United States. It began in 1981 when a group of Yale physicians, nurses, and social workers established a geriatric clinic in a corner of Yale New Haven Hospital’s Primary Care Center. One of their first patients was a woman named Dorothy Adler. After her death, her sons decided to support an expanded center to evaluate older adults who struggled to take care of themselves. The center was established in Adler’s name in 1987. In 2009, we moved to a freestanding building across the street from the hospital. Today, we draw patients and families from throughout the state, New York, and New England.
Our Team
Our team includes geriatricians, nurse case managers, and ambulatory care associates.
We conduct diagnostic assessments on an outpatient basis at our Yale New Haven Hospital-based clinic or at the patient’s preferred site. Family meetings are held at each visit and include a physician, case manager, family/caregivers, and if appropriate, the patient. We also work closely with the patient’s own doctor. The result is a comprehensive plan to help patients optimize function, independence, and quality of life.
Our Approach
We help patients and families develop connections to appropriate community services such as home health care agencies, adult daycare centers, and volunteer support groups. Moreover, in conjunction with the patient’s physician, our staff provides ongoing case management and clinical care, as necessary. Finally, our center serves as an important educational site for interns, residents, and fellows in geriatric medicine. We serve as a model for other institutions who are developing geriatric centers, and an important site of patient-oriented research in geriatrics.
When a patient brings a loved one to our center for an assessment, he or she will receive:
- A comprehensive history and medical exam
- Risk evaluation for falls, mobility, and musculoskeletal complaints of back or joint pain
- Comprehensive cognitive exam and depression screening
- A review of medications and an evaluation for polypharmacy
- A review of patient priorities and goals of care
- Caregiver counseling
- An assessment for home-based care needs, as well as for nursing home and assisted living placement
