CREOKS: Living Better, Longer
Aging services
CREOKS: Living Better, Longer Program, is a specialized treatment program serving adults 65+ or those 50+ with complicated medical or mental health situations. Our comprehensive services support your physical, mental, emotional and social health. We focus on helping you age positively. Research studies show that people live on average seven years longer if they have a positive outlook about this season of life. Our highly trained experts are prepared to help you build a strong social support system as isolation can be detrimental to wellbeing at any stage of life. Our staff knows how to make learning and physical movement fun while tailoring your program to you.
CREOKS offers individual and group therapy, case management, medication management, peer support, collaboration with your Primary Care Physician and other providers. We provide support as needed for family members and caregivers and connect you with resources to help the process. We address key risk factors like depression, anxiety, history of trauma, thoughts of self-harm, as well as medical situations like diabetes management and cognitive decline. Our services help you live independently as long as possible while having your best life possible.
CREOKS: Living Better, Longer Services
Aging brings changes to all of us, and we want to help you navigate these changes. Just as education about health leads to good health choices, education about aging and mental health challenges bring about the opportunity to create a fulfilling life as an older adult. CREOKS leadership has prioritized the development of this program for older adults and partnered with educational experts in the nation such as the E4 Center at Rush University Center for Excellence in Aging in Chicago, Illinois which developed the 4Ms model. We have also trained with the PEARLS (Program to Encourage Active and Rewarding Lives) program at the University of Washington. The founders of our program have been leaders at the state and national levels to advance the efforts of specialized services to older adults.
Our goal is to learn about you, partner with you and help you design a treatment program to best fit your needs and assist you in maintaining control over your independence, quality of life and dignity.
Individual & Group Therapy
Therapy is a vital tool when dealing with live changes. Whether one-one-one or in a group, find a space to work through challenges and connect with others.
Case Management
Case management helps you navigate health and social services. We work closely with your medical team and other organizations like Meals On Wheels and Area Agency for Aging to create a seamless network of support for you and your family.
Medication Management
Our team, including a nurse, can review your health situation and coordinate with your medical team to alert you to any medical situations that need to be addressed.
Peer Support
Peer support offers an advocate and friend who is also experiencing aging. Learn from their experiences and share your own.
Caregiver Support
CREOKS provides support and resources for caregivers, individuals and families who have a loved one on their aging journey. This can include caregivers getting services for themselves when appropriate.
Education
CREOKS provides education about aging research, medical developments and strategies to Live Better, Longer.
THe 4ms Model
The CREOKS Living Better, Longer program is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care through our components from nationally recognized programs. This specialized model would be categorized as an “evidence-based” model, which means it has been researched and proven to be effective with treatment for older adults. We are recipients of a grant from the E4 Center at Rush University Center for Excellence in Aging, and our approach is built on their core principles:
1. What Matters: What Matters to YOU: the things you value, the goals you have for your life, your ethnic, cultural, and individual preferences are at the center of every service.
2. Mentation: We support your mental and cognitive health and help you identify ways to stay alert and learning.
3. Mobility: We help you learn ways to stay as active and safe as possible, ways to maintain your independence, ways to identify risk factors and prevent falls while remaining as mobile as possible.
4. Medications: We review your medications and medical needs and collaborate with your medical team with the goal of maximum health.
Caring for Caregivers Model
As a supplement to the 4Ms model, the CREOKS team will involve individuals, family members and caregivers as you designate. The needs of the people that support you can be assessed, and they can be involved in our services as you specify. Resources will be identified and often services are offered to them separately from yours if that is appropriate.
Pearls Program
The PEARLS (Program to Encourage Active and Rewarding Lives) program is also an evidence based treatment program for older adults. The goal is to assist people dealing with depression who have become less active, do fewer things they enjoy and feel overwhelmed by the circumstances in their lives.
This treatment program helps you learn ways to identify fun things to pursue, develop physical activities that fit your health needs and reduce symptoms of depression to improve your quality of life. PEARLS empowers you through behavioral techniques to actively manage depression. A trained PEARLS Coach will meet with you for 6-8 sessions, which can be held over the phone, on a computer or in-person. You will learn the skills necessary to make lasting changes.
• Learn how to recognize signs of depression
• Understand the link between unsolved problems and depression
• Develop goals to increase social, physical and enjoyable activities
• Learn how to move into action and make lasting healthy changes
• Have a more positive outlook
• Become more engaged with family, friends, and activities you enjoy
• Improve physical and mental health
• Lead a more active and rewarding life