MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and WVU Medicine Geriatric Medicine are opening the WVU Frailty Clinic, which will help patients regain strength, mobility, and independence by offering specialized assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation. The Clinic, which will officially open March 20, will be the first of its kind in the state.
Frailty is a loss of the body’s resilience, resulting in a diminished ability to bounce back from an illness or injury. While frailty is most common in older adults, those with chronic medical conditions that make them weak or hinder their recovery also experience frailty. Patients with this condition are at a greater risk of becoming dependent and dying earlier than healthier people of the same age.
Frailty clinics help patients improve their ability to withstand an illness, prevent hospital admissions, recover from debilitating illnesses, improve functionality, and maximize quality of life.
“Frailty represents a decline in multiple systems in the body, making older adults vulnerable to get sick with fairly minor stressors,” R. Osvaldo Navia, M.D., division chief of Geriatrics, Palliative Medicine, and Hospice, said. “The most effective ways to prevent and treat frailty are improving muscle strength with exercise and performing a comprehensive geriatric assessment.”
The Clinic will be staffed by Dr. Navia; John Alm, D.O., chair of the RNI Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; and Megan Clark, M.D., physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist.
“The WVU Frailty Clinic is a clear necessity for the third oldest state in the nation,” Navia said. “It is also an exciting opportunity for the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine to join forces to improve the quality of life of our older population.”
The partnership between Geriatric Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation allows for the development of a comprehensive, specialized plan of care based on a patient’s specific needs. All patients are given a complete assessment of functional status with a customized physical therapy regimen, mood, cognition, medication management, and prognostication.
“The biggest benefit of coming to this Clinic is unifying all the care,” Dr. Alm said. “You’ve got one Clinic that’s focused on one thing for the patient, which is optimizing their current functional status.”
Patients experiencing weakness, fatigue, or difficulty with everyday tasks should talk to their primary care physician about consulting with the Frailty Clinic.
The WVU Frailty Clinic is located at the WVU Medicine University Town Centre Outpatient Clinic.