Summary: The hands-on approach of Enhanced Care Initiatives' "Easy Care" program for the frail elderly is built on human interaction, communication and reinforcement. Nurses act as health advocates, pulling together all aspects of a patient's care and supporting the patient by working for them in the healthcare system. However, technology has its place: a tablet PC is a communication hub for nurses, a web-based patient data collection tool is an information repository, and in-home monitoring tracks meds intake. Dr John Charde, Enhanced Care Initiatives' vice president of strategic development, described how Enhanced Care Initiatives varied programs "touch" the frail elderly. Charde and Laurie Russell, XLHealth's senior director of health solutions, explored how to create effective care management approaches for the frail elderly during an April 26, 2007 audio conference, Managing Transitions to Care for the Frail Elderly.
