Name
Collaborative Care for Older Adults: Addressing Complexity, Comorbidity, and Caregiver Integration
Description

Although many older adults are resilient to common stressors and aging processes, some present to primary care with depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, and complex medical comorbidity, yet implementation guidance for geriatric-focused Collaborative Care remains limited. This session shares insights from a newly convened national Older Adult CoCM workgroup. Presenters will highlight emerging clinical, operational, and policy themes identified through cross-sector dialogue. Attendees will engage in discussion to help shape future directions for geriatric Collaborative Care.

Speakers
Stephen Warnick, Jr, MD
Virna Little, Psy. D, LCSW, MBA
Anna Ratzliff, MD
Clare McNutt, PA-C
Ann Steffen, PhD, ABPP
Jian Joyner, LSW
Content Level
Intermediate
Tags
Collaborative Care Model of Integrated Care, Geriatrics
Session Type
Concurrent
Objective 1
Identify at least three behavioral health and medical complexities unique to older adults that require adaptation of the Collaborative Care Model.
Objective 2
Describe operational and clinical considerations for integrating caregiver engagement within older adult CoCM.
Objective 3
Discuss emerging national priorities for advancing geriatric-focused Collaborative Care.
Content Reference 1

Unützer, J., Katon, W., Callahan, C. M., Williams, J. W., Jr, Hunkeler, E., Harpole, L., Hoffing, M., Della Penna, R. D., Noël, P. H., Lin, E. H., Areán, P. A., Hegel, M. T., Tang, L., Belin, T. R., Oishi, S., Langston, C., & IMPACT Investigators. Improving Mood-Promoting Access to Collaborative Treatment (2002). Collaborative care management of late-life depression in the primary care setting: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 288(22), 2836-2845. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.288.22.2836

Content Reference 2

Dham, P., McAiney, C., Saperson, K., Wang, W., Malik, N., Parascandalo, F., Zhao, H., Lourenco, L., Oliver, D., Kates, N., & Rajji, T. K. (2022). Impact of integrated care pathways within the framework of collaborative care on older adults with anxiety, depression, or mild cognitive impairment. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 30(7), 834-847. https://doi-org.ezproxy.umsl.edu/10.1016/j.jagp.2022.01.010

Content Reference 3

Renn, B. N., Johnson, M., Powers, D. M., Vredevoogd, M., & Unützer, J. (2022). Collaborative care for depression yields similar improvement among older and younger rural adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 70(1), 110-118. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.17457

Content Reference 4

Carlo, A. D., Scott, K. S., McNutt, C., Talebi, H., & Ratzliff, A. D. (2025). Measurement-based care: a practical strategy toward improving behavioral health through primary care. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 40(3), 677-681. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-024-08877-6

Content Reference 5

Glaseroff, A., Lindsay, A., Haskell, H., & James, J. (2022). Collaborative care for depression in older adults. American Family Physician, 106(3), 318-320.