Well•Spring, a New Source of Support

A growing geriatric population coupled with daunting economic challenges emphasizes, more than ever, the need to provide proper care for Greensboro’s older adults. Just ask Steve Fleming, President and CEO of Well•Spring Retirement Community. He’s practiced long-term care administration in Greensboro for the last twenty years.

According to Steve, many older adults wait until there is a crisis before seeking medical intervention. "We need to help them sooner," he says.

Early intervention and regular check-ups alleviate visits to over-crowded emergency rooms and subsequent stays in acute care settings. But too often low-income seniors lack the transportation, financial resources and support to get to the doctor. That’s where the UNCG School of Nursing and the Greensboro Housing Authority come in.

Making house calls

UNCG nursing professors and students provide personalized, compassionate care to community members in the convenience of their own homes and at four local health centers associated with the housing authority. Nurse volunteers monitor vital signs, teach prevention, manage diet and medication and tend to the physical and personal well-being of residents.

Well•Spring, a leader in continuing care to the retirement community, recently provided a tremendous boon to the Nursing Health Centers by joining the partnership and committing $100,000 for the next five years.  

The creation of the Well•Spring-UNCG School of Nursing Health Centers marks an expansion of a 20-year partnership between the School of Nursing and the housing authority. Now, with Well•Spring’s financial backing and active collaboration, the nursing professors, students and other professionals who staff the centers can give vulnerable populations greater access to care that is not always easily available.

Keeping a good thing going

In the current economic climate, the Well•Spring gift also provides security for the short-term future of the health centers, which is critical not only to elderly residents, but also to the students who benefit from real-world training. The health center sites prepare future nurses to care for older adults and other vulnerable populations, to improve quality of life and life expectancy outcomes, and to eliminate health disparity where possible. "It is my sincere hope that these programs can serve as a model for preventive geriatric health care," says Steve, who also serves on the Advisory Board for the School of Nursing. The joint initiative engages community members in promotion and education of good health practices, management of chronic illness and appropriate use of the healthcare system.

"The health center program fits perfectly with the Well•Spring mission. We’re extremely pleased to expand services to Greensboro's older adults by partnering with the School of Nursing."