Reframing Aging and HIV - Integrating Geriatric Care into Primary HIV Clinics - Close the Gap in Access

Sep 29, 2026

The HIVE Clinic implemented a “pop-up” integrated geriatric care model inside primary HIV clinics to address reluctance among people living with HIV (PLWH) to seek geriatric services outside familiar settings. The approach tackled clinic barriers through enhanced communication, improved scheduling, and targeted patient education about aging-related needs. Local partnerships with visiting nurse associations, adult day health programs, and meal services extended ongoing support. Outcomes included improved healthcare proxy documentation, reduced polypharmacy concerns, expanded referrals, and stronger care coordination, closing access gaps to geriatric care.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Background and Rationale

Patient reluctance and access barriers

Model Design: HIVE “Pop-up” Geriatric Care

Integration into primary care settings

Communication, scheduling, and education strategies

Partnerships and Support Services

Visiting nurse associations, adult day health, meal services

Outcomes and Impact

Healthcare proxy documentation, polypharmacy, referrals, and coordination

790 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 reluctance, perceiving such care as unnecessary and associating it with an outdated notion of aging, underscoring the need for targeted education on the benefits of specialized geriatric services In this paper presentation session, we describe the implementation of the HIVE Clinic and the strategies used to address barriers experienced by PLWH in accessing geriatric care. These strategies include enhanced communication, improved scheduling, and targeted patient education on aging-related needs to keep them safe and independent at home. Additionally, partnerships with local aging services, including visiting nurse associations (VNA), adult day health programs, and meal services, provided further support to patients. Results demonstrated improved healthcare proxy documentation, addressing polypharmacy concerns, expanded referrals, and strengthened care coordination. The HIVE Clinic’s innovative model successfully improved access to geriatric care, emphasizing the value of familiar care settings and targeted patient education to address gaps in HIV-aging care. Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2681 REFRAMING AGING AND HIV: INTEGRATING GERIATRIC CARE INTO PRIMARY HIV CLINICS TO CLOSE THE GAP IN ACCESS Athina Schmidt1, Jennifer Sergile1, Irina Vovnoboy2, and Archana Asundi2, 1. Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 2. Boston UniversityChobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States The BMC HIV-Endurance (HIVE) Clinic implemented a“pop-up”geriatric care model to address the reluctance of people living with HIV (PLWH) to leave their primary care settings for geriatric services. Patients reported concerns about losing trusted providers. While systemic challenges at our clinic required an increase to the geriatric referral age to 70. The integrated HIVE model introduced specialized geriatric expertise directly into primary care settings to improve access and improve healthcare outcomes. Despite proactive referrals that originated from the patient’s primary care provider with specific concerns to address, some patients still required guidance to grasp the rationale behind their referral to a geriatric specialist. Many expressed

FAQs

What problem did the HIVE Clinic address for people living with HIV (PLWH)?

Patients were reluctant to leave their primary care settings for geriatric services, often due to viewing such care as unnecessary or fearing loss of trusted providers.

How did the integrated HIVE model improve access to geriatric care?

It brought specialized geriatric expertise directly into primary HIV clinics and supported referrals with enhanced communication, improved scheduling, and targeted patient education.

What results were reported after implementing the model?

The clinic reported improved healthcare proxy documentation, addressing polypharmacy concerns, expanded referrals, and strengthened care coordination.

Sep 29, 2026

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