Abstract

The Adopt a Senior Program is a collaboration between the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and Osceola Council on Aging to provide volunteer students the opportunity to meet one-on-one with seniors who wish to visit or consult with medical students regarding their health. Students are paired with senior citizens in the Osceola County community who are currently receiving services from the Osceola Council on Aging. Most of these clients are confined to their homes with little access to transportation and are at risk for in home accidents due to extremes of age and deteriorating health. Thus the student visits are two-fold: students offer much needed personal contact and also provide an additional safeguard to monitor seniors at risk for falls or medical emergencies. Monthly visits are spent discussing any pertinent health concerns, taking blood pressure, listening to heart and lung sounds, and checking neurological status, if desired by the senior. During each visit, the students complete progress notes which include health information and any objective findings. These notes are submitted to a representative from the Osceola Council and a faculty supervisor and serve as a means to communicate any problems that they observe. This innovative service program allows medical students reach out to a deserving population of seniors that will be patients in their future regardless of what medical specialty they pursue.