Senior Services at The Miriam Hospital
The GENESIS Program
(Geriatric-friendly Environment through Nursing Evaluation and Specific Interventions for Successful healing)

In 2003, GENESIS won Lifespan's Barnet Fain Quality Award, which recognized the program's great success.

The GENESIS program assists patients with:

When hospitalized, older adults are more vulnerable to complications such as confusion, decreased independence, deconditioning, falls and weight loss. Through education, nursing evaluation, protocols and environmental changes, The Miriam Hospital staff has changed the culture of care for geriatric patients to reduce the risk of these complications.

The GENESIS program at The Miriam Hospital began in 2002. The nursing staff received special training to learn more about caring for older patients in order to implement the program.

How it works:

  • Nurses and certified nursing assistants get patients up and moving to keep them limber and make sure they are eating properly and sleeping enough.

  • Beds are placed lower to the floors.

  • Hallways are kept clear and patients' rooms are kept uncluttered.

  • The nurse locater system eliminates the need for overhead paging, which can be distressing for geriatric patients who are confused.

  • Patients in the program tend to suffer fewer hospital-acquired bedsores and are restrained and sedated less often.

  • Also, the unit overall has reported higher patient satisfaction scores since the program began.

Who is enrolled in the GENESIS program?

For more information about the GENESIS program, please call Lisa Baumhover, RN, geriatric clinical nurse specialist, at 401-793-3616.

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