WCPT 820 Interview: Estrelitta Harmon of Center for Better Aging

Patti Vasquez is joined by Estrelitta Harmon, executive director of Center for Better Aging. Harmon explains that the clinic opened in July 2024 within St. Bernard's Hospital to serve 22 zip codes on the Greater South Side of Chicago. The organization utilizes a "four Ps" model—predictive, preventative, personalized, and participatory—to provide whole-person care. * Preventative Care: Focuses on health education to move away from reactive medicine and reduce emergency department visits.* Social Connection: Addresses loneliness, which is linked to higher rates of hypertension and diabetes, noting that one in three older adults lives alone.* Impact Metrics: In under two years, the center has reached 18,500 individuals through approximately 2,000 patient visits and 600 enrolled members. Harmon highlights significant disparities in aging outcomes across Chicago. While the city's average life expectancy is nearly 80 years, certain neighborhoods on the South and West Sides see averages as low as 67 or 68 years.* Life Expectancy Gap: The gap is driven by environmental factors including access to primary/specialty care, nutritious food, transportation, and general healthcare availability.* Caregiver Support: Many family members do not identify as caregivers due to societal norms or guilt regarding seeking respite care. The center provides support to address this "sandwich generation" stress and the massive amount of unpaid labor involved.* Workforce Shortage: There is a critical shortage in home care services, leading to long waitlists. Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).   Follow us: Website: https://heartlandsignal.com WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820 Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandSignal Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heartlandsignal  Heartland Signal X: https://x.com/HeartlandSignal WCPT 820 X: https://x.com/WCPT820 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartlandsignal Threads: threads.com/@heartlandsignal YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heartlandsignalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.