live life longer at home
With built-in peace of mind – for participants and their families – people can live longer in their own homes, surrounded by people they know and love.
A way to take worry out of the equation
A favorite chair. A cherished neighbor. The kitchen cabinets organized just so. These and a million other things make us want to live in our homes for as long as we can.
But as we age, health challenges can make that goal more difficult to achieve.
That’s the inspiration for Civic Telehealth. We blend a relationship-driven, highly personalized approach with the convenience and speed of telehealth.
Our subscribers have easy access to:
» their own dedicated virtual nursing team
» physicians 24/7 for non-emergencies
» mental health support
» discounted lab work, prescription drugs, medical equipment, hearing aids and vision care
» an advocate to help manage clinical and administrative needs with insurance, physician offices, hospitals and pharmacies
The outcome? A close, daily connection to medical professionals who monitor health data in real time and help subscribers take action should it be required. This takes worry out of the equation for them and their families.
How it Works
Virtual nurse management teams conduct regular health monitoring through simple at-home devices. The nurses have an average of 20 years’ experience and come to know each one of their subscribers personally. They provide education and guidance, and advocate for subscribers when treatment, appointments and further assessments are needed.
We collaborate with Reconnect for Health, a nurse-owned and operated remote care organization that works with healthcare systems around the country. They have a proven track record of helping to reduce hospital readmissions and improve patient engagement.
Our proprietary, secure health data platform is accessible when and wherever it’s needed.
Whether they live in their own homes or enjoy the benefits of living independently in a continuing care retirement community, subscribers can access and share all their health data to get the care they need.
When paired with electronic medical records, the data we collect provides physicians the most up-to-date snapshot of a subscriber’s health. During office visits – or a trip to an emergency room – those medical teams benefit from a more comprehensive picture rather than relying solely on day-of assessments or the memories of a patient or caregiver.
While we collaborate with Reconnect for Health for remote monitoring of chronic conditions, we also work with a preeminant telemedicine organization — DialCare — to connect subscribers to physicians.
Through DialCare, our subscribers have access to a national network of U.S.-based, fully credentialed physicians providing non-emergency care, 24/7/365. Appointments with licensed behavioral health professionals are available seven days a week.
DialCare offers our subscribers significant savings on prescription drugs, lab work, medical equipment, hearing aids and eye care.
Customer Journey: Meet Freddie
Freddie, who’s 68 and widowed, goes fishing with his friends every Tuesday and watches his grandson for a few hours most weekends. He’s lived in the same home for 30 years and knows every neighbor on the block. He’s had high blood pressure for about 10 years but keeps it in check with a daily walk (and fewer chili-cheese dogs). Although he has an electronic blood pressure cuff at home, Freddie typically checks his numbers at the grocery store.
But something happened at his last physical. His primary care physician diagnosed him with Type 2 diabetes. His doctor says it’s manageable, but he has to check his blood sugar each day. Trouble is, at 68, he’s not sure where to start and worries this might be the beginning of a decline in his overall health and independence.
The good news? Freddie subscribes to Civic Telehealth. On Day One, he gets a call from Marsha, who leads his personal nursing team. Through a series of follow-in calls, she helps him get his account set up, and order his glucometer and supplies. Marsha also suggests he secure a new blood pressure cuff so she can track that information as well.
Once the equipment arrives, Marsha works with Freddie to establish a daily routine: taking his blood pressure and using his new glucometer. Each blue-tooth enabled device automatically uploads the readings into the system and while Freddie gets on with his day, Marsha reviews the data on her end. If one of the numbers looks off compared to how Freddie typically trends, Marsha calls him proactively to troubleshoot the cause.
Freddie’s physician has told him she appreciates the trend data collected by Civic Telehealth, as blood sugar levels are sensitive and can change day to day. And when he and his buddies went on a fishing trip recently — and Freddie had to visit a local urgent care center — he was glad all his data made the trip, too.
How it Started
We met over a cup of coffee and quickly discovered we share something in common: we’re getting old.
We had a lot of easy conversations about careers, retirement and family. Then began the real dialogue about how age was changing the way we live … and how growing health concerns might limit our lives in the future.
To be honest, this project – this passion – is somewhat selfish. We want to stay in our homes, close to family, for the rest of our lives. Or we want to be surrounded by our friends and live fun, active lives in independent living.
And so we blended our expertise in telehealth, medicine and community building to create Civic Telehealth.
Joel Embry
Joel Embry is a seasoned developer of mixed-use, connected communities whose work over 30 years has focused on quality of life and aging-in-place.
Joe McMenamin, MD, JD
Joseph P. (“Joe”) McMenamin is a physician-attorney who concentrates on the law of distance care.
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