Health & Wellness Services

Dupont Circle Village (DCV) honors its commitment to community with a full array of healthcare support services for aging in place. As we continue to age, life can bring us additional challenges. Something unanticipated comes along: a health crisis, an accident, a hip or knee replacement, a new diagnosis, the illness or death of a loved one, a change in our abilities. As we age, our journeys are affected by more twists and turns than we would like. You may encounter such a challenge currently or at some point in the future. We want you to know that the Village is and will be with you.

Our services include those that are directly related to medical issues, those related to living healthy and well, and a combination of both.

Services Related to Medical Issues

Care Management

Care Management / Professional Support Services

DCV has both a Social Worker and a Health Care Navigator (RN) to support Villagers by connecting them to local resources that can help with health issues at home, in the hospital, in aftercare and with long-term care services and coordination.

Social Worker

The primary role of the Social Worker is to help connect you to local resources that can help you age in place in a healthy and safe environment.

The Social Worker coordinates regularly with the Health Care Navigator.

Can help with connecting you to the DCV volunteer network who can coordinate friendly visits; providing help with sorting and organizing paperwork and financial records; coordinating transportation to and from medical appointments; coordinating shopping and errands, and more.

Providing information about community resources such as the Safe at Home Program, meals delivery, and Medicaid QMB prescriptions.

Providing resources to help you and your family members when you are in the Emergency Room or following hospital admission

Providing resources to help you with post-hospitalization issues such as rehab facility choices, home care, short or long-term. The Social Worker can connect you with the local lead agencies and private care management companies that can best meet your needs.

Helping you to complete a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) application.

Providing resources to help support individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia and their care partners

Providing resources that can support Solo Agers, those living on their own without a spouse or children

Health Care Navigator (RN)

The Health Care Navigator is licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in the District of Columbia and Maryland. The overarching goal is to assist Villagers to safely stay in their own homes, and maintain their entitled independence. This is accomplished by working closely with the DCV Executive Director, Social Worker, as well as other healthcare disciplines such as Physicians, Physical Therapists, Pharmacists, Hospital/Long-term care Staff, and Families.

Advocating for Villagers as needed.

Providing an appropriate, individualized nursing assessment.

Assisting Villagers to develop a plan of care to approach a healthcare concern/issue. A few examples: uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes, medication management, pain control, or pre- and post-hospitalization procedures.

Assisting Villagers to navigate our complicated healthcare system.

Assisting Villagers to understand medical jargon and terminology.

Accompanying Villagers on physician/specialists appointments.

Village Care Committee

The mandate of this group is to identify, monitor, and follow up with members experiencing acute and chronic issues and emergencies. This can include working with the member’s family, other supportive individuals, and pertinent services to ensure adequate care.

The group, which meets bi-weekly, is comprised of our Executive Director, Social Worker, Health Care Navigator, Chair of the H&W Committee, President of the Board, and selected other members who are trained medical professionals and others selected for his/her knowledge of members.

Care Groups

From time to time, there are Village members who need more extensive volunteer services. This may be because the member has medical needs, has diminished abilities connected to aging, or feels isolated. These members benefit from concentrated assistance to help them maintain their independent living.

Care Groups help members remain linked to the people and resources of the DCV community and provide coordinated access to the volunteer services. All Care Groups work in coordination with the Executive Director, the Social Worker, the Health Care Navigator, and the Volunteer Coordinator. A Care Group volunteer serves as the Point Person who coordinates the service activities of the group.

Care Groups operate in the following categories:

Friendly Visit Care Group for Members who feel isolated and/or lonely;

Crisis Intervention Care Group for Members who are dealing with a temporary, often sudden, health issue; and

Long Term Care Group for Members dealing with more complex issues which require ongoing support.

Medical Notetaking

Volunteers are trained to accompany members on medical appointments to take notes during the time with the healthcare provider. The volunteer will meet with the member before the appointment to understand the member’s needs and what they want to ask of the provider. After the appointment, the member and the volunteer go over the appointment and clarify the notes taken.

Friendly Calls and Visits

Volunteers are available to make regular or periodic calls and visits with members who are experiencing health concerns, isolation, loneliness, home confinement, or the need to simply connect with another person to check-in. These calls and visits can be established in a number of ways: through the Social Worker or Health Care Navigator, through a Care Group, or through the Volunteer Coordinator.

Choosing the Right Facility

The Village provides information and arranges occasional tours of local facilities including Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care facilities.

DCV staff and Village members can provide feedback on their experiences with different hospitals, nursing facilities, Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care facilities.

Volunteer Services

In addition to the services described above provided by volunteers, members experiencing health concerns may also benefit from regular volunteer services such as grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, transportation to medical appointments, and more.

Services Related to Living Healthy & Well-Being

Live & Learn

Live and Learn Program

The Village provides speakers and presentations on a variety of aging-in-place, financial, community living, technology, and health-related topics. Interactive monthly sessions are held in person, virtually, or a combination of both.

Past topics have included the following:

Dementia & Alzheimer's

Dental Rituals for Seniors

Hydration & Nutrition

Annual Changes in Medicare

Scams Directed at Seniors

Wills and Estate Planning

Creating New Holiday Traditions

Senior Living Options

Finding an Assisted Living Facility

Villager to Villager Support for Health and Well-Being

The Villager to Villager Support program connects village members who are experiencing a common health or social condition with another member who has gone through the same experience.

Village members have a lifetime of knowledge and experience with lessons learned about health and well-being and have a unique opportunity, either to provide or receive support from one another.

Common health and social conditions can include alopecia, auditory issues, backaches, cancer, dementia, diabetes, digestive issues, feet problems, gall stones, grief, incontinence, insomnia, kidney stones, loneliness, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s, rheumatoid arthritis, tachycardia, vision problems, and widowhood.

My Way: Preparing for the Inevitable

Aging in place is a unique journey for everyone that involves adjusting to shifting capabilities, different perspectives and includes gracefully dying in our own way, to the extent possible. My Way is a 6-session program that supports members thinking through the necessary end-of-life tasks we each need to consider.

My Way starts with the premise that “Everyone should have the information they need to make end-of-life decisions with knowledge, power, and support.” Starting from the premise of Compassion and Choices, the program encourages each participant to do things in their own way, on their own terms, and at their own pace.

Topics covered in the sessions include:

Getting Your Life in Order

Defining a Life Worth Living in its Last Chapter

Planning to Ensure a Good Death for You

Awareness of and Planning for Physcial and/or Cognitive Decline

End of Life Options

Options for Celebrating Live Well Lived

Learn More About My Way

Navigating the Path Ahead

The Village offers a monthly virtual discussion group, Navigating the Path Ahead, which aims to bring together people who are being challenged by situations and opportunities on their journeys. The group is facilitated by Tim Rogers, who is certified in Somatic Integrity and has years of experience in group work in the Dupont Circle area.

Some discussion topics include living alone; receiving a new diagnosis; wondering what’s next; do I need to make accommodations in my home? dealing with loss; where can I find new experiences? what can bring me joy? how can I reignite the passion in my life?

While this group might attract members who are in later years, it is open to anyone who may want to participate.

Physical & Mental Activity Programs

The Village promotes and provides physical and mental activity programs to assist members in staying active, in exercising, in mental awareness, and in engaging in activities with others.

Examples of such programs include the following:

Mat & Chair Yoga

Tai Chi for Arthritis

Meditation

Mahjong Group

Bridge Group

Knitting Group

Walking Groups

Book Groups

Personal & Home Safety

To promote personal and home safety, the Village provides information, resources, and presentations on a variety of topics, including:

Medical Alert Systems

Fall Prevention

Medical & Emergency Go-Bags

Senior Fashion with Emphasis on Accessible Clothing

Sheltering in Place

In case of emergency: The Village encourages its members to share with the office their emergency contact information, their power of attorney, their healthcare power of attorney, and the name of a person who has keys to access their homes in case of emergency.

Frequently Asked Questions

What services does the Social Worker provide?
Connecting you with local agencies and resources that can help you age in place in a healthy and safe environment

Connecting you with the DCV volunteer network who can coordinate friendly visits and calls

Connecting you with the DCV volunteer network who can coordinate transportation to and from medical appointments

Providing information about community resources (e.g., Medicaid, meals delivery)

Assisting in rehab facility placement and post-hospitalization issues

Providing resources to support individuals living with Alzheimer’s and related dementia and their care partners

Assisting in completing a SNAP application
How do I access the Social Worker?
What services does the Health Care Navigator (RN) provide?
Advocating for Villagers as needed

Providing an appropriate, individualized nursing assessment

Assisting you in developing a plan of action to approach a healthcare concern/issue

Assisting in navigating the complicated healthcare system

Assisting in understanding medical jargon and terminology

Accompanying you on physician/specialist appointments
How do I access the Health Care Navigator?
What services can help me if I need hospitalization?
The Social Worker and the Health Care Navigator can help you plan your stay and answer your questions

The Villager Care Committee can coordinate and follow-up on the services the Village and its volunteers provide

A Care Group can be set up for you when you are discharged

Meals can be provided when you come home through our Meal Mavens

Friendly visits and calls can be set up
How can I get help from the Villager Care Committee, a Care Group, Meal Mavens, or Friendly Visits and calls?
How do I arrange for a volunteer to help me when I am ill?
Can someone pick up a prescription for me?
I just got a medical report that I don’t understand. Can I get help?
Can I get medical equipment (e.g., a cane, a walker) on a temporary basis?
My doctor is retiring. Can I get help in finding a new provider?

The Village has a list of providers that have been suggested by Village members. Contact Ellen Brody or Eva M. Lucero at 202.436.5252.

The Village listserv is another tool to use to get suggestions and feedback from members. Send an email to dupont-circle-village@googlegroups.com
Can I get help in finding and evaluating a local facility for independent living, for assisted living, for memory care?
Is there a cost for exercise programs? For meditation? For other programs?
How can I join the different exercise programs?
For Tai Chi, Online Meditation, Virtual Chair Yoga, and Accessible Mat Yoga, register online or contact (202) 436-5252.

For the Adams Morgan Walking Group, you do not need to register. It meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:00 am, at the northwest corner of Kalorama and Columbia that borders Kalorama Park

For the Dupont Circle Walking Group, you do not need to register. It meets every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 8:30 am (Winter/Fall), and 8:00 am (Spring/Summer), at the fountain in Dupont Circle.
Can I get help in applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)?
Can someone accompany me on my medical appointment?
What health-related information does the Village / can the Village keep on me?

The Village office maintains your emergency contact information on file.

If you want, you may also provide the Village office with copies of your power of attorney and healthcare power of attorney documents.

If someone else has keys to your apartment in case of emergency, you can provide the DCV office with this, as it would be helpful for the Village to have that information.

If you are participating in a Village Care Group, you will be asked to give your permission to have notes be kept in a secure database.