FOR YOUR HEALTH

RESIDENT PHYSICIANS REACH OUT TO Senior Services

When Dr. Tom North drove to the Yellowstone County Adult Resource Alliance, 1505 Ave. D, on a sunny winter morning, he had no idea that he would be delivering hot meals to 17 homebound individuals by noon. His visit to the Alliance was part of the geriatrics rotation in the Montana Family Medicine Residency (MFMR) based at RiverStone Health.

Development Director Judy Hughes greeted Dr. North and gave him a rundown on programs the Alliance offers: transportation for seniors, Pantry Pals who help shop for groceries, Resource Center that is “a Yellow Pages for seniors”, a volunteer program that matches older adults with community service opportunities, senior meal sites in Billings, Broadview, Custer, Laurel, Huntley, Shepherd and Worden, and Meals on Wheels (MOW).

Those programs run with the help of about 600 volunteers – 200 of whom help deliver Meals on Wheels. Five of those Meals on Wheels volunteers were seated at a large round table in the Alliance dining room when Dr. North met them. “It’s all so well organized,” Gerry Omstead told him. She and her husband, Roger, have volunteered to deliver meals for 14 years. That day, 261 meals were scheduled for delivery in Billings. Additional meals were delivered in Laurel and Huntley.

Dr. North was paired with Meals on Wheels volunteer Bea Ann Melichar. She has delivered meals for the past two years. Before that, she served for many years as the Alliance executive director.

“I’ve had as many as 20 people on this route,” Ms. Melichar said as she and Dr. North headed to the kitchen to pick up two large coolers already packed with meals. A couple of regulars on the delivery route were in the hospital, so they wouldn’t need a meal at home. There was one couple on the route, so two meals would be delivered at that stop.

Like other volunteers, Ms. Melichar is dedicated to getting daily nutrition to homebound people. “For some, I’m the only person they see in a day,” she said as she started driving the 12-mile Billings route over snowpacked streets.

“For some, that’s the only nutritious meal they get,” Ms. Melichar noted. She knows everyone on her route and brings treats for their dogs. She and Dr. North donned gloves before touching the food containers. Extra precautions were being observed during the pandemic. Delivery volunteers were instructed to drop off meals without going inside homes to visit.

“This lady is diabetic and she gets skim milk and she has a dog,” Ms. Melichar said.

About 90 minutes later, after completing the MOW route, Dr. North was enthusiastic about the service. “had no idea going in, what I was going to do today. I’m glad to be here. It was fun.”

It was also educational for the family physician. “Knowing what I know now about these programs, I can ask patients questions to determine their needs and talk to care managers about getting them Meals on Wheels. One of the joys of residency is learning what services are available to help patients.”

Dr. Yuri Brito, a second-year MFMR resident, agrees. He spent a November morning delivering Meals on Wheels with Gerry and Roger Omstead. “They’re giving back to the community and staying active,” said Dr. Brito, who applauded the couple’s dedication to MOW recipients.

“I found it very heartwarming to deliver meals at Thanksgiving and to go to their homes.

“Earlier, I shadowed a RiverStone Health home care nurse. I saw conditions that we are not always aware of as doctors – poverty, loneliness, with no one to care for them. Going to a patient’s home provides more information than you get just seeing a patient in the clinic.”

“It’s good for us to know where the resources are, who the people are,” Dr. Brito continued. “I like to think of food as medicine. With the right kind of food, you can prevent disease.”

The morning with the Alliance is just one assignment in the geriatric rotation that all doctors in the Montana Family Medicine Residency complete. The residents also work with RiverStone Health Hospice, Hospice Home and Home Care. They visit Adult Protective Services, Big Sky Senior Services, a nursing home and assisted living facility. They train in wound healing and assessing the needs of older adult patients.

The Montana Family Medicine Residency goal is for these resident physicians to learn how to work effectively with community resources dedicated to the care of older adults. In their three years of residency, they care for patients at RiverStone Health Clinic, at Billings Clinic and at St. Vincent Healthcare.