Inspīr’s Integrated Care Model (ICM) is an interdisciplinary, team-based, person-centered approach to whole-person health and wellness. This approach provides highly coordinated, data-driven, and outcome-focused care across providers, settings, and time. Built on a philosophy of vibrant, intentional living and meaningful connections, the ICM synthesizes the expertise of medical professionals across multiple disciplines for the best possible outcomes for our residents.
To provide a greater understanding of the medical professionals practicing within our Integrated Care Model, we invited Dr. Caitlin Snow, geriatric psychiatrist and recent addition to Inspīr’s Integrated Care Team, to share her background and contributions to Inspīr.
Geriatric Psychiatry: My Calling
I’ve always had an affinity for working with older adults. My passion dates back to high school when I volunteered to work with frail, medically burdened adults in New York City. Though I was there to assist with their day-to-day obstacles, I also had the opportunity to learn about the rich life narratives that informed their highly varied perspectives and experiences of later life.
During medical training, I was drawn to psychiatry for the opportunity to engage with and help people during some of the most challenging times of their lives. Aging is a significant life experience with a multitude of challenging transitions, all of which are impacted by complex interactions among medical, neurological, and psychosocial issues. I sought opportunities to work with older adults across multiple care settings, including primary care practices, assisted living facilities, nursing homes and memory care units, medical and palliative care services, inpatient psychiatric units, and even homeless shelters.
My two passions truly came together as a geriatric psychiatrist. Geriatric psychiatry offered me the opportunity to combine my devotion to working with older adults with my investment in understanding the biological and psychological factors affecting their health.
The Patients That Drive My Passion
Without question, my patients—and their caregivers—fuel my passion for geriatric psychiatry. I relish the moments, small and large, when individuals can use their setbacks and life transitions as opportunities to develop strength. I am endlessly moved by my patients’ demonstrations of courage and resilience in the face of hardships, and I feel honored to support them and their families during these periods. I’m fortunate to collaborate with an inspiring group of physicians, nurses, and social workers who routinely support older patients. Knowing how essential it is to have the support of a knowledgeable and devoted team for every patient excites me beyond belief as I continue to practice this philosophy at Inspīr.
My Hub: New York City
Studies have shown that social isolation and loneliness are significant risk factors for various physical and mental health conditions. New York City protects against this. In New York, you can instantaneously tune-in to the vibrant, diverse, and intergenerational culture of the city. For my patients, New York City fosters lifelong learning and provides endless opportunities to engage their curiosity. The potential benefits cannot be overstated.
Joining the Inspīr Integrated Care Team
Inspīr’s Integrated Care Model provides an unparalleled service that I am utterly thrilled to become a part of. Healthcare delivery is often fragmented, with limited communication between providers, care recipients, and family members. This results in adverse events—which otherwise could have been preventable—when faced with increasing medical complexity and vulnerable moments of transition. I am privileged to work with a multidisciplinary team of experts in a model of care that positions patients and their families as proactive members of their healthcare narratives.
Furthermore, the exquisite attention to detail in every aspect of maintaining meaningful engagement that went into imagining and executing Inspīr is remarkable. Truly, there is nothing like it. From a healthcare perspective, this setting offers every opportunity for optimal health outcomes by providing comprehensive care right at home as patients experience the many transitions of later life.
Patient-Tailored Treatment
My approach to care is interactive, collaborative, and results-oriented. Treatments are tailored to each individual’s needs and preferences—which can incorporate psychotherapy, medications, or both. I begin treatment with a patient evaluation. This comprehensive assessment aims to understand who the individual is and what factors are contributing to the issues causing them distress. I conduct an in-depth interview with the individual, often with their caregivers and medical providers, to determine how best to support them. Treatment recommendations are based on this information and almost always evolve over time.
At Inspīr, I intend to guide patients in making progress within the areas that are most concerning to them, thus enhancing engagement and contributing to supporting whole-person wellness.
Making an Impact at Inspīr
My approach to psychiatry aims to fully understand who each individual is—their drives, motivations, and passions across their lifespan, and how they’ve dealt with setbacks and celebrated achievements. This is essential to making strides against the challenges that aging presents. While aging is a universal occurrence with many similarities, the experience and personal approach to navigating the challenges can vary tremendously. Often, core aspects of an individual go unrecognized and are underappreciated in the setting of functional and neurocognitive decline. With treatment, I aim to minimize symptoms that are impairing an individual’s ability to function as an active participant in daily life. Often, patients will say, “I just want to feel like myself again.” Treatment then focuses on developing an understanding of who that “self” is and how to collaboratively restore those fundamental aspects of personhood. My goal is to honor each person’s individuality, which will be of great benefit to the Inspīr community and the Integrated Care Team.
I’m excited to work alongside the medical professionals on Inspīr’s Integrated Care Team, all striving to achieve one common goal: whole-person wellness. I’m honored to join this revolutionary medical team and look forward to making a difference at Inspīr.
Inspīr’s Integrated Care Model centers around total well-being and optimal outcomes for each resident and supports our philosophy of vibrant, intentional living. We hope this blog has offered some insight into how we bring our elevated senior care experience to life. To learn more about Dr. Caitlin Snow, visit her website at caitlinsnowmd.com.
