Meridian at home is committed to providing enhanced care in the home setting, working closely with patients to understand their emerging needs

by alice forstead • PHOTOS BY Amessé Photography

As a geriatrician for the past 16 years, Mark Pass, M.D., is a passionate advocate and champion for providing care and services for the senior population, which gives him a unique understanding of the needs and preferences of his aging patients.

Dr. Pass’s inspiration to heal came at a young age when his brother required a number of surgeries from birth. Seeing his brother handicapped drove him to pursue medicine and help those who could not help themselves. He began his education at the University of Florida and the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine before completing an internship, residency, and fellowship at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. After being involved with Alzheimer’s research, Dr. Pass found his passion, calling, and medical specialty—Geriatric Medicine.

“From the start, I felt that I was treating someone’s mother, father, spouse, sibling, grandmother, or grandfather,” said Pass, department chair of Geriatrics at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and
Ocean Medical Center, both members of the Meridian Health family. “It is very gratifying to help families navigate challenging transitions in their lives.”

For the elderly populations he provides care for, Pass noted that, “Their most important desire is autonomy. They want to maintain independence for as long possible and as much as possible, but often worry about being a burden or imposing on family members. However, they often realize that they need some level of assistance to manage chronic conditions, illnesses, household chores, meal preparation, personal care, adherence to medication compliance, and keeping up with ongoing therapy and medical
appointments.”

That’s why Pass, who also serves as medical director of Meridian Nursing & Rehab at Ocean Grove (Manor by the Sea) and Meridian Subacute Rehab at Wall, is committed to providing more and enhanced care in the home setting.

“Services that have historically required an inpatient stay are increasingly shifting to outpatient or other care settings,” he explained. “Rehabilitation centers that typically provide care for weeks or months now operate almost like an extension of the hospital, focusing on short-term care with a progression to outpatient and then home care if needed. Assisted living offers an attractive solution for many by offering a private apartment setting with some level of assistance and care for those who are unable to be fully independent. People leaving a hospital or rehabilitation facility are increasingly looking to return home sooner, and now have access to a broad spectrum of services at home, including skilled nurses, therapists
[physical, occupational, speech], home health aides, social workers, physicians, and new technologies as well.”

Dr. Pass credits the high-quality care to Meridian’s strong focus on collaboration and engagement among the physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers, administrators, and support staff.

“I think the journey begins in the office of the patient’s primary care physician, but, when additional care is needed, our streamlined and coordinated services simplify the process for patients and families and reduce the stress and uncertainty that comes with complex medical needs,” he said. “We see patients in the office, in the hospital, in rehabilitation and long-term care facilities, and assisted-living facilities. We even make house calls for our patients who are homebound and unable to leave
their homes for a doctor visit.”

For Meridian, home health is just one piece of a larger continuum of care— which includes Meridian At Home, Meridian hospitals, rehabilitation centers, a fitness and wellness center, urgent care center, assisted living, long-term care, as well as Meridian’s hospice service.

“This comprehensive, integrated ecosystem of care is both unique and fundamental to providing excellent care through one’s changing health and life circumstances,” the doctor noted, adding that he sees the nation’s senior population as changing rapidly. Collectively, baby boomers are now entering their
senior years and this generation is especially active, but many of them will live with chronic conditions and have growing needs for health care support services. He explained that home health care has
adapted to this changing landscape by making wide-ranging changes over the past decade, in part as a result of health care reform legislation.

In this evolving model, clinical care such as skilled nursing, rehabilitation services (including physical, occupational, and speech therapy), and certified home health aides can provide assistance with daily living, including meal preparation, bathing and personal hygiene, light housework, and even errands. Home health care services can also include medical equipment, supplies, infusion, tele-health, and new technologies, and these services are not limited just to the senior population or the chronically ill; they are increasingly being used to assist a wide spectrum of people after a surgery, a hospital stay, illness, or health crisis.

Meridian At Home has been providing these home-care services for more than 25 years. It is not only the largest provider of such services in Monmouth and Ocean counties, but is also an innovator in developing specialized services, programs, resources, products, and technologies to meet growing and changing needs and advance consumer awareness of at-home options.

Additional programs and services offered through this division include the Life Transitions program, which includes senior care planning and management. These services can be provided for a onetime,
short-term basis, or as part of ongoing long-term care management.

Meridian At Home offers an array of other home care and support services and technologies, including: Care on Call Now, which utilizes advanced technology wireless medical alert device/pendant designed to provide instant medical or personal assistance; home infusion services that allow patients to receive intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and medications in their home; medication management, which utilizes technology to remind patients to take their medications, monitor and follow up when medications are not taken, and assist with replenishment and management of medications; and tele-health, which can monitor home care patients through follow-up phone calls and assist with understanding of and compliance with discharge instructions. Meridian At Home can also assist with adapting the home for safety and convenience, including installation of wheel-chair access ramps and grab bars.

“In order to meet the needs of a growing population of seniors and baby boomers so they can age comfortably at home with appropriate care, there will inevitably need to be new and innovative thinking about how to provide greater access to these services and remove barriers and restrictions,” Pass added as he moved down the hallway at the Meridian Willows Assisted Living facility to visit his next patient. “Everyone wins when services are tailored to patients’ individual needs and circumstances. They heal quicker and better, and the system works more efficiently. For me, there is no greater gift than to be part of a team that is truly passionate about meeting the physical and emotional needs of our senior population, and treating every patient and family with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

Meridian at Home
1340 Campus Parkway, Wall Township / 732.751.3700 / meridianathome.com