When the trip becomes the problem
An office visit can take more effort than most people realize. Someone has to drive, park, help with doors and stairs, and wait. For an older adult with a walker, memory loss, pain or a long-term illness, that effort can be enough to postpone care. Postponed care lets small problems grow.
A house call changes the setting. The clinician comes to the home or senior living community, and the visit can be calmer and less rushed. Gateway’s clinicians provide the medical care. We connect seniors and families with partner clinicians and arrange the work around each visit. Our page on in-home primary care covers the basics for any adult.
Who visits
Visiting clinicians who see patients through Gateway may be physicians, podiatrists (DPM), nurse practitioners or nurses, matched to the patient’s needs. The treating clinician decides what each visit includes.
What seniors and families often ask us to help with
These are common reasons to call:
- Keeping up with check-ups for conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure
- Sorting out a long list of medications from several prescribers (see medication review at home)
- Follow-up after a hospital or rehab stay
- Concerns about balance, falls or getting around the house (see fall risk and mobility)
- Memory changes that worry the family
- A wound, such as a leg sore or pressure injury, that needs regular care
- Questions about planning ahead for future care
You do not need a diagnosis to call, and you do not need to have everything figured out.
The home visit has some advantages
A clinician who sees where someone lives can notice things an office cannot show: throw rugs, dim stairwells, pill bottles on a counter, an empty refrigerator, or a recliner that has become the only place the person sleeps. With permission, the clinician can talk with the person who helps every day.
None of this replaces specialty care or testing that has to be done elsewhere. When the clinician decides a hospital or office visit is needed, Gateway can help with scheduling and transportation arrangements.
Including family
Adult children often manage the phone calls, the pill organizer and the calendar. At home, they can be in the room, ask questions and hear the plan firsthand. If they live far away, ask whether they can join by phone.
You decide who is included and who receives updates. Families who share the load may find the page on caregiver support useful, and the guide to caring for a parent at home looks at the full range of help available.
Working with the doctors already involved
Starting house calls does not mean giving up doctors you trust. With permission, visit notes and questions go to your current physician and specialists. Ask early who will handle refills, forms and test results so the roles are clear.
Senior living and facilities
Visits also take place in assisted living, memory care, independent senior living, skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation centers. They are arranged with the community as well as the resident, and the visiting clinician works alongside the nursing staff.
Coverage and cost questions
You can ask about Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and commercial plans. Whether a home visit is a benefit and what you might owe depend on the treating provider, your plan and the care needed. Ask which practice would see you and confirm participation with your plan before the first visit.
How to start
Call 314-325-0126, or send a request for care with a name and phone number. Please keep medical details for the phone call. A family member or caregiver can call for someone else. No referral is needed to start. We ask about the address and care setting, confirm availability and explain the next step.
House calls are planned care, not emergency care. For chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke, a serious fall or sudden confusion, call 911.
Common questions
Is there an age requirement for a house call?
Gateway talks with adults of any age who have trouble getting to an office, and many callers are older adults. Whether a plan treats a visit as a benefit is a separate question that depends on the plan and the practice.
My mother does not want strangers in the house. What can we do?
That is common. Ask us who would be visiting and what the visit usually involves. A family member can be present, and a short introductory call can help. The visit goes at the patient’s pace, and she decides who takes part.
Can the clinician talk with me about my father’s care if I live out of town?
With your father’s permission, yes. He names the people who can receive information, and a family member may be able to join visits by phone. Ask about this when scheduling.
Do house calls cover wound care too?
A visiting clinician can look at a wound, and Gateway also arranges mobile wound care by wound care clinicians. If both kinds of care are involved, we help the clinicians stay in contact.
Will the visits be regular?
The treating clinician sets the schedule based on the person’s health, and it can change over time. Someone recently home from the hospital may need closer follow-up than someone whose conditions are steady.