Helping Sonoma Valley Age Well
September is Healthy Aging Month, a fitting time to recognize the many ways Sonoma Valley Hospital helps members of our community remain healthy, active and independent as they age.
Age-friendly care is not limited to one program or department. It guides the care we provide across our Medical-Surgical and Intensive Care units, Sonoma Valley Family Practice on Perkins Street, and our Emergency Department. Our Emergency Department’s recent Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation recognizes the work already underway to better meet the needs of older patients.
In practice, age-friendly care starts by asking what matters most to each patient. It includes careful medication review, support for safe movement and attention to changes in memory or thinking. And just as important, it means keeping families and caregivers informed and involved every step of the way.
Our Active Aging: Wellness series at Vintage House brings these conversations into the community. Over three Friday afternoons, local experts will discuss digestive health, stroke response and fall prevention. See the full schedule below.
September is also National Preparedness Month. Our hospital team trains regularly so we are ready to care for the community during an emergency. It is a good time for every household to review emergency contacts, medications, supplies and plans.
We hope you will join us at Vintage House this month. And be sure to save the date for Golden Harvest on October 10. We look forward to seeing you.
Warmly,
Kelley C. Kaiser
Chief Executive Officer
Care Designed Around What Matters
For many older adults, getting better is about more than treating an illness or injury. It is also about maintaining independence, staying connected to the people and activities that matter most, and returning safely to the routines of everyday life. At Sonoma Valley Hospital, our commitment to age-friendly care is designed to support those goals by recognizing the unique needs and priorities of older adults throughout their healthcare journey.
As people age, a hospital stay can bring risks beyond the condition that brought them in. Medications may affect balance. Unfamiliar surroundings can contribute to confusion. Time spent in bed can make it harder to regain strength. Age-friendly care means watching for those risks early and building care around the whole person.
At Sonoma Valley Hospital, our Age-Friendly Health System work includes the Medical-Surgical Unit, Intensive Care Unit and Sonoma Valley Family Practice on Perkins Street. In the Emergency Department, our Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation adds another layer of specialized care for older patients, including screening for fall risk, delirium and dementia. Identifying these concerns early allows our care teams to respond quickly and help prevent complications during and after a hospital visit.
This work is guided by four essential areas known as the 4Ms:
- What Matters: Understanding each patient’s goals, values and priorities.
- Medication: Making sure medications are necessary and do not interfere with mobility, memory or what matters most
- Mentation: Watching for and addressing changes in memory, thinking and mood
- Mobility: Helping patients move safely and maintain their strength and independence
The 4Ms sound simple, but together they can change the way care is planned and delivered. In practice, age-friendly care may mean reviewing medications that could increase the risk of falls or confusion, encouraging safe movement rather than prolonged bed rest, identifying changes in thinking early and asking patients what is most important to them as they recover.
Perhaps most importantly, age-friendly care starts with a conversation. What does the patient hope to be able to do when they leave the hospital? What activities, relationships or responsibilities are most important to them? What does a successful recovery look like from their perspective? Understanding these priorities helps our teams create care plans that support not only medical recovery, but also the patient’s ability to return to the life that matters to them.
Delivering age-friendly care is a team effort involving physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, care managers and many others across the organization. By working together, our teams can look beyond a diagnosis and better understand what each patient needs to recover and return home safely.
As Sonoma Valley Hospital continues to expand age-friendly practices throughout the organization, our goal remains the same: to provide care that recognizes the unique needs of older adults while treating every patient as a whole person.
Three Fridays, Three Ways to Age Well
This September, Sonoma Valley Hospital is bringing three timely health conversations to Vintage House. Each session will offer useful information people can put into practice right away.
Sonoma Valley Hospital CEO Kelley Kaiser will welcome guests and introduce each program. The talks are free and open to the entire community. Light refreshments will be provided. Click here to RSVP.
Fridays, September 11, 18 and 25 3–4:30 p.m. at Vintage House
September 11: A Healthy Gut
Patrick I. Okolo III, MD, MPH, FASGE, Gastroenterologist and Chief Medical Officer, Sonoma Valley Hospital
Dr. Okolo will discuss digestive health and the role a healthy gut can play in overall well-being.
September 18: Every Minute Matters
A Community Conversation on Stroke Response
Representatives from Sonoma Valley Fire District and Sonoma Valley Hospital’s Emergency Department, nursing and rehabilitation teams will walk through what happens during a stroke emergency and why a fast, coordinated response matters.
September 25: Fall Prevention
Lisa Bell, Cert. MDT, Physical Therapist and Vestibular and Concussion Expert
Learn how strength, balance, movement and the right support can help reduce the risk of falls and protect independence.
Staying Strong, Steady and Independent
Maintaining strength, balance and mobility is an important part of staying active and independent as we age. Walking, balance exercises and physical therapy can all help reduce the risk of falls. For those who need extra support, a cane or walker can provide greater stability and help prevent a more serious injury.
Sonoma Valley Hospital’s Rehabilitation Services team helps patients improve their function and return to the activities they enjoy. Services include vestibular and fall-prevention therapy, postural correction, therapeutic exercise and home-management programs. The expanded Outpatient Physical Therapy Clinic also includes dedicated fall-prevention programs and a Solo Step overhead track and harness system, allowing patients to practice walking and balance with added support and safety.
Learn more on Friday, September 25, when SVH physical therapist and vestibular and concussion expert Lisa Bell presents Fall Prevention as part of the Active Aging: Wellness series. To learn more about rehabilitation services, speak with your primary care provider about a referral or call 707-935-5345.
My Hospital: Four Blocks from Help
This month’s My Hospital story comes from Virginia Bertelsen, who’s lived in Sonoma for 25 years. She was out walking along Fryer Creek with friends in February — nothing unusual about the day — when she felt a stomach pain that wouldn’t ease up. Twenty minutes later she was in our Emergency Department.
What followed happened fast: a CT scan, a diagnosis of a life-threatening bowel obstruction, and an after-hours surgical team pulled together so she could go into the OR without waiting. But when Virginia talks about it now, she doesn’t dwell on the speed. She talks about the tech who reassured her on the way to her scan, her surgeon explaining things so clearly it put her at ease, and the physical therapist who came back the next day just to see how she was doing.
Click here for Virginia’s full story.
A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way
September Is National Preparedness Month
An emergency is not the time to discover that a medication needs refrigeration or a medical device will not work without power. A little planning now can make a difficult situation safer and less stressful.
People who use a CPAP, BIPAP, oxygen concentrator or another powered medical device should speak with their healthcare provider about a backup plan. It is also important to know how refrigerated medications should be handled during an outage and to keep a current list of medications, medical conditions and emergency contacts somewhere easy to find.
A few steps to take this month:
- Sign up for SoCoAlert and make sure your contact information is current.
- Know your evacuation zone and review more than one route out of your neighborhood.
- Keep phones and backup battery packs charged.
- Plan for medical equipment or medications that require electricity or refrigeration.
- Identify a family member, friend or neighbor who can check on you.
- Check on older neighbors and others who may need extra help.
Additional information about preparing for power outages, extreme weather and changing air quality is available on the Sonoma Valley Hospital website.
Imaging and Diagnostic Services, Right Here in Sonoma
From routine lab work to advanced imaging, a wide range of diagnostic services is available at Sonoma Valley Hospital. Many services are offered six days a week.
3T MRI
Our 3T MRI features a larger-bore design for a more comfortable experience, faster scan times and a more open feel.
Appointments available Monday–Saturday
Mammography
SVH offers 2D and 3D digital screening and diagnostic mammography to help detect changes in breast tissue.
Appointments available Monday–Saturday
DEXA
DEXA scans measure bone mineral density and can help identify bone loss and other skeletal concerns.
Appointments available Monday–Friday
CT and Cardiopulmonary Services
Appointments available Monday–Friday
Ultrasound and Elastography Ultrasound
Appointments available Monday–Saturday
Laboratory Services
SVH provides a full range of diagnostic testing.
No appointment needed
Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturday, 8 a.m.–noon
Walk-In X-Ray
No appointment is needed for general X-ray services.
Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
How to Schedule
MRI, CT, ultrasound and cardiopulmonary services: 707-935-5020
Mammography and DEXA: 707-935-5215
Providers may fax orders to: 707-935-5207
Save the Date: Golden Harvest
Saturday, October 10
Golden Harvest brings older adults, caregivers and local organizations together for health information, community resources and connection.
Mark your calendar and watch for more information about this year’s event!