Nonprofit senior residing operator FellowshipLife just lately launched a brand new, voluntary genetic testing program for residents and their households geared toward figuring out power well being danger components, together with for dementia.
The Customized Genetic Wellness program is obtainable to all residents throughout the nonprofit senior residing supplier’s community of 5 life plan communities in New Jersey as a part of the enlargement of the corporate’s medical group providing major care companies to residents and the general public.
By the genetic testing program, FellowshipLife scientific groups are in a position to display for numerous varieties of danger components together with coronary heart well being components like excessive ldl cholesterol or cardiomyopathy, most cancers danger, neurological markers for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s ailments, amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Lewy-body dementia.
The screening may detect danger components for immunodeficiency issues, lung circumstances, autism spectrum issues and this system can consider how a person’s genetic make-up impacts their response to medicines.
That is in an effort to detect danger components of power ailments as early as doable, in keeping with FellowshipLife Vice President of Scientific Operations Laura Sharp.
“The combination of genetic testing helps to drive exact drugs that permits us to proactively tackle illness prevention and early illness detection and therapy,” Sharp informed Senior Housing Information. “It’s positively taking up when it comes to curiosity and there’s pleasure on your complete workforce to have the ability to assist individuals based mostly on this method.”
Fellowship Medical Group physicians use the testing to develop a personalised prevention plan of care with older adults based mostly on the outcomes.
Senior residing operators are in 2026 discovering methods to enhance scientific care via early detection, whereas concurrently pushing for deeper personalization of well being and wellness companies.
The price of genetic testing has turn out to be extra reasonably priced and generally could be lined by non-public insurance coverage or Medicare via an evaluation course of, Sharp mentioned.
“We’re now in a position to check a person’s genetic make-up to find out the very best therapy selections when it comes to prescribing treatment for that affected person, which treatment might be handiest and contain the least danger of negative effects,” Sharp added.
Sharp sees the genetic testing as a “faster route” to figuring out illness danger components and establishing prevention or therapy plans, one thing the Fellowship Medical Group views as a “very highly effective development” in its medical observe.
In reminiscence care settings, the genetic testing program is ready to display for 64 danger components related to neurocognitive issues, together with vascular dementia, cerebellar ataxia, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy physique dementia and Alzheimer’s illness.
As soon as in reminiscence care, the genetic testing program will help determine danger however doesn’t determine whether or not a illness is current, and is “extra useful” for members of the family which can be in a position to additionally bear a voluntary screening for potential danger components related to their cherished one’s cognitive change.
By being provided to households, Sharp sees a chance to make use of the genetic testing program as a means to enhance resident and household satisfaction, whereas personalizing companies to fulfill every particular person’s wants as they come up.
“It provides households the very best alternatives to assist decrease the consequences of the illness in the event that they carry that gene mutation,” Sharp mentioned. “It does assist individuals to have management with regard to their futures.”
