Home-based Interdisciplinary Primary care for Seniors

HIPS is a home visiting team based out of the Mount Sinai Academic Family Health Team. The acronym is short for Home-based Interdisciplinary Primary care for Seniors. As the name suggests, the team provides comprehensive medical care in the convenience of the patient’s home. The team provides acute care, chronic disease management, palliative/End Of Life care, with an added focus on addressing psychosocial issues.

HIPS is a collaborative team that has been successful in delivering a community-based, multidisciplinary approach to primary care to socially isolated and medically complex home bound seniors. By expanding the interdisciplinary team to include community partners such as volunteers, pharmacists, and home care service providers, in addition to two physicians, a registered nurse and a nurse practitioner, they have successfully addressed key social determinants of health and made a meaningful difference in the lives of their patients. By developing a tight communication network amongst all providers, this has successfully enhanced social supports, promoted healthy behaviours and improved health access.