PROJECT SAFETY NET - A HEALTH SCREENING OUTREACH AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM

Although comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) has been conducted i n many settings, its use in community-based outreach programs has been limited. We have developed Project Safety Net, a program that identif ies low-income urban-dwelling frail elderly persons and provides CGA a nd appropriate referral. The program uses validated screening instrume nts and makes extensive use of a custom-designed computer program to p rovide information to the interdisciplinary team and for research purp oses. During an 8 month period, 814 older persons were screened includ ing high proportions who were widowed (51%) and who lived alone (66%). The effectiveness of this program remains to be determined in a rando mized clinical trial.