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Wind Crest Residents Enjoy Benefits of Integrated Health and Wellness System

November 3, 2020

Wind Crest, a senior living community developed and managed by Erickson Living, residents enjoy an active and vibrant retirement lifestyle. To keep up with the plethora of activities, clubs and special events, many residents take advantage of the on-site medical center for help with staying healthy.

With convenient healthcare options uniquely tailored to the needs of seniors, the on-site medical center makes it possible for Wind Crest residents to easily fit an in-person, telehealth, and even same-day appointment into their busy schedule. If necessary, a doctor can also make good old-fashioned house calls directly to a resident's apartment home.

"A lot of residents who have moved in and had outside primary care physicians report that it typically takes two to three days to get an appointment with their doctors, and they end up going to urgent care or, in some cases, to the ER," explains Craig Erickson, Wind Crest Executive Director. "Having a doctor right on campus makes life much easier."

Being able to walk a short distance to the medical center is just one of the many benefits of living at Wind Crest.

"No question that the convenience is a major factor," says Bob Follett, who has lived at Wind Crest for more than five years and is the liaison to health services on the Committee of the Resident Advisory Council. "I make an appointment on the phone, and I can just stroll over there."

A one-stop healthcare shop

According to Medical Director Robert Stewart, M.D., the medical center has two physicians, two physician assistants, a podiatrist, five medical assistants, and a social worker on staff. In addition, specialists such as a dermatologist, an audiologist, an optometrist, an ophthalmologist, and a cardiologist serve Wind Crest residents at the center on regularly scheduled days.

"We have a robust staff, and we all know the residents very well," says Dr. Stewart. "We also have great relationships with the specialists who come in."

Wind Crest's medical center is part of Erickson Health Medical Group, one of the largest and most completely integrated health and wellness systems specifically designed for seniors. In addition to staff providers, residents enjoy convenient access to physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists right on-site. Through the community's home support program, residents can get additional assistance if they need it.

After business hours, residents can contact security staff, all of whom are EMT-trained, and they will contact the physician on-call. Dr. Stewart says that the goal for responding is within five minutes of receiving a call. 

If residents need care in between appointment, Wind Crest also provides it. Follett recalls that upon returning from the hospital after a surgery, he was able to spend a few days in the rehab unit of Mill Vista at Wind Crest. He says that rather than being like a typical rehab center, his room was like a hotel bedroom. And that was just fine with him.

"That's effective medicine because most people, as soon as they're able to take care of themselves in their own apartments, they want to go home," says Follett.

"One of the biggest things the medical center allows us to do is avoid unnecessary hospitalizations," says Erickson. "We know that even in normal times, being in a hospital unnecessarily has some healthcare risks as well as financial implications."

Erickson adds that many residents move to Wind Crest because they're impressed by the healthcare options they offer.

"Residents and their families find great value and peace of mind in knowing that our full-time doctors, who are among the best in the retirement health care industry, are right on site and available whenever needed," adds Erickson Living's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Matt Narrett. "There is no doubt, our integrated health and wellness system is unmatched in the senior living industry, and our communities have a culture of wellness where opportunities for healthy living abound."

Consider Wind Crest if you're interested in living in a connected and engaged senior independent living community. Beautiful walking paths, gardens, resort-style amenities, an on-site medical center staffed by full-time medical professionals, and new friends await. Request more information today.

 

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