Chiemeka Onyima
introducing
ELDER’S PROJECT
Introduction
• I am a rising second year medical student
at Drexel University College of Medicine
in Philadelphia, PA.
• I grew up in Upper Marlboro, MD and
attained my undergraduate degree in
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at
University of Maryland Baltimore County
in 2012.
• My interest in conducting this project
was facilitated by the “Community
Education Experience” course offered by
Drexel University College of Medicine.
• The administration placed me under the
mentorship of a 92-year-old Philadelphia
resident who really inspired me to help
others in her situation by increasing their
quality of care.
Background
Why is this project relevant to the Diversity’s Scholars Initiative?
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The baby boomer generation will constitute the majority of the
United States’ elderly population.
With better medical practices and advancements in technology they
have longer life expectancies
“The United States has the youngest population, the highest
income per capita, and the greatest expenditure on health care, but
also the highest levels of income inequality and relative poverty,
and lacked universal health care coverage….Experts have
considered that these three factors have probably contributed to
the poor progress in the health of the elderly in the United States in
recent decades.” (Granados JA)
Society has very negative stereotypes about the elderly population
(e.g. diminished mental capacity and dependency) that it even
affects the quality of care older individuals receive.
“…the aggregate amount of time patients spend in Emergency
department nationwide will increase 10 percent faster than
population growth.”  This in turn could exacerbate the United
States’ spending on an already belabored health care system.
Methodology
Strategy:
• Assess the history of present illness of roughly 10 patients
• Pinpoint key health issues that plague these individuals and
bring them to the attention of the consulting physician
• Cross-reference drugs the client maybe taking to prevent and
decrease incidences of contraindication.
• Assess health risks within the individual’s residence
• e.g. secure rugs, stair rails, non-slip shower mats, etc
• Conduct nutritional and physical assessments of the clients
• Oversee and ensure that these individuals acquired groceries
and conformed to proper diets
• Teac physical exercises/safe movements to decrease the risks
of ailments associated with a primarily sedentary lifestyle.
Results
After monitoring each client on a month-tomonth basis and built a strong rapport with
each person I was able to:
• Ascertained mini biographies of each
individual entailing their life stories and how
their present conditions came into
existence.
• Identified red flags in my clients’ current
health and relayed them back to my
supervisors at Unitarian Universalist House
Outreach (UUHO).
• Restored clients’ sense of control and wellbeing over their current situations.
• Found that most of my clients were in
compliance with home safety guideline.
• Consolidated concerns about potential
medical procedures with clients.
Conclusion/Discussion
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I have yet to perform physical assessments on my
clients, but plan to utilize some time during my summer
to do so.
Through this fellowship opportunity I’ve learned so
much about myself and the importance of good patientdoctor rapport.
I was able to make an impact on the lives of ten
individuals, but there are plenty more people in similar
situations as my clients in the Northern Philadelphia
area.
I hope to increase the scope of my work by getting in
contact with a network of professionals and possibly
converting my efforts into a research opportunity.
There’s no shortage of those in need so my project is
very much sustainable, as well as necessary.
I also hope to use the summer to form a plan that
increases the scale of my work and build an initiative
that might benefit my target population for years to
come.
Down the line I hope to utilize and elaborate on the
model used for my project to establish aid organizations
Acknowledgements
Elissa Goldberg
Program Director, Office of
Community Experience
Drexel University College of
Medicine
Roberta Balsam
Social Services Supervisor
UUH Outreach Program
Mary J. Fallon
Executive Director
UUH Outreach Program
Special thanks to …