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The A.M. Post

An eNewsletter for Aging Magnificently — ISSUE 10 

At Lifespark we’re all about helping you stay healthy at home, navigating your health options with confidence, and living a fuller, more independent life. That’s what The A.M. Post is all about, too. Read on — we hope you enjoy!

Empowering Seniors with In-Home EKG Technology

New technology is transforming in-home care for seniors, providing fast, accurate cardiac assessments, bringing peace of mind to clients and caregivers, and clarity to urgent responders. SmartHeart’s easy-to-use, EKG technology and 24/7 access to board-certified cardiologists, enable rapid results and saves hours in the ER.

Revolutionizing In-Home Care with SmartHeart® Technology
According to the CDC, “heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups” in the United States. Mildred*, 87 years old, found herself alone and afraid when she was experiencing symptoms of what she thought could be a heart attack. She called the Lifespark Triage team, who escalated her concern to a Mobile Urgent Responder (MUR) who quickly came to her home. The MUR did a full exam and used a SmartHeart® electrocardiogram (EKG), ordered by the Lifespark Same Day Provider, to identify cardiac concerns. Five minutes later, a remote cardiologist had reviewed the results, putting Mildred’s fears to rest; it wasn’t her heart, it was anxiety. This is one example of how Lifespark’s Urgent Response Services using SmartHeart in the home can save hours in the ER.

SmartHeart – Hospital-Grade 12-lead EKG testing In Your Home
In January 2025, Lifespark began a partnership with SmartHeart to provide an additional capability within the MUR team to identify and address unexpected health concerns. This new tool offers members easy-to-use, portable, EKG technology and 24/7 access to board-certified cardiologists from the comfort of your home.

“Many seniors don’t want to go to the ER and spend hours sitting and waiting for results,” said Dr. Wendy Laine, Lifespark physician and Medical Director for Urgent Response Services. “When it’s important, you shouldn’t have to wait.” SmartHeart EKG results are read by board-certified cardiologists within 30 minutes, then members and their Lifespark health care team are sent recommendations and next steps. “When we’ve deployed our MURS to members’ homes and utilized the SmartHeart technology on average, the typical response from a cardiologist is within 7 minutes.”

For members who do need to go to the ER, Lifespark can start diagnostics at home with the MUR team to assist with a transfer to the ER.

Dr. Laine lauds the SmartHeart partnership as a transformative advancement for delivering in-home care to seniors. “Our ability to provide rapid, EKG results in the comfort of our members’ homes further empowers seniors and their loved ones to make informed health decisions quickly and confidently,” explained Dr. Laine. “These tools can have a positive impact on avoiding unnecessary trips to the ER, while also highlighting when an underlying issue needs immediate attention.”

Dr. Laine recalls one member whose rapid EKG results used by the MUR team showed a dangerous cardiac rhythm called junctional with ventricular escape. “The cardiologist who provided the reading recommended going to the ER and Lifespark’s URS team was able to facilitate a smooth transition coordinating with the ER providers and communicating the member’s history, status, and directives for care,” said Dr. Laine. “That’s the experience we want. A primary care experience that reacts and delivers immediate, appropriate action with the members’ goals in mind.”

smartheart portable

Want more on this topic?

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ask ethel

Ask Ethel

How often do I need to see my primary care provider?

Dear Ethel,

I keep a daily planner to write down all my doctor visits throughout the year. My neighbor saw my schedule and was astounded. She said she sees her doctor once a year and that’s only if they call her to schedule an appointment. We’re both generally healthy seniors, so this got me wondering how often should we see our primary care providers?

~ Social Sam

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Dear Social Sam,

This is an insightful question and an astute observation. First, let me commend you on being proactive with your health! Waiting for your clinic to call and remind you it’s time for an appointment is sometimes not enough to keep you healthy. The fact is that your visit cadence will differ from others as you age. Much of this depends on your health history, underlying concerns, chronic conditions, and your own preferences.

Medicare members are eligible for one Annual Wellness Visit every 12 months. This is a preventive care appointment in which you can gain a better understanding of your health risks and work with your primary care team to create a personalized plan for support with topics such as diet, exercise, sleep, and recommended screenings.

While every Medicare member should take advantage of the Annual Wellness Visit benefit, this appointment does not replace recommended checkups with your provider that may include a full physical exam, medication review, discussing health concerns, advance care planning, lifestyle changes, and immunizations. It’s best to plan ahead for these appointments by writing down any questions or noticeable changes since your last checkup.

Regular checkups with your primary care provider are important for proactively managing your health and planning for potential challenges. Partnering with your health care provider to create an informed and well-coordinated plan of care gives you peace of mind and can help you avoid the physical, emotional, and even financial stress of trips to urgent care and the ER.

If you are living with one or more chronic conditions such as arthritis, asthma, atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular disease, COPD, diabetes, or an infectious disease, your provider may want to see you more frequently and will likely recommend a documented contingency plan. This is a proactive approach to managing your condition and provides you with clear actions to take if you experience a flare up. Having such a plan can often help you avoid another visit to the clinic, or worse yet, the urgent care or ER.

So, while you and your neighbor’s social calendars may look different, you should both schedule an Annual Wellness Visit every year and regular checkups as recommended by your provider. Being proactive with your care will ensure there’s plenty of room in your daily planner for more of what you love to do! Aging Magnificently is as unique as you are!

In health,
Ethel

Learn more

An Ounce of Prevention

When Irene, a Lifespark member, was concerned about a possible infection, she called Lifespark first. She thought she should see a clinician, but she didn’t want to risk delays and exposure to illness by waiting in the ER.

As a client of Lifespark, Irene has an integrated team of senior-savvy medical professionals who know her. The triage nurse viewed Irene’s charts, gathered the details of her concerns and, in cooperation with the same-day provider, determined that an in-home visit from a Lifespark Mobile Urgent Responder would be best.

As Irene puts it, “Sometimes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The Mobile Urgent Responder was able to address Irene’s concerns in the comfort of her home and Irene was feeling better and reassured. Watch video below:

Age Magnificently with Lifespark