Lifespan affiliates Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital and Newport Hospital have formally begun participating in the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, a nationwide movement to advance health care for older adults.
The three hospitals join hundreds of health entities that are working to make care for older adults more tailored to their goals and preferences and consistently of high-quality. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the populations of Americans who are 65 and over is expected to double to 83.7 million between 2012 and 2050.
Age-Friendly Health Systems, launched in 2017, is an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States. They are helping hospitals and other care settings implement a set of evidence-based interventions specifically designed to improve care for older adults.
“Rhode Island Hospital recognizes all older adults deserve high-quality care designed to meet their needs based on what matters most to them,” said Saul N. Weingart, MD, president, Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital. “We are pleased to be formally participating in the Age Friendly Health System program and for our part in leading age-friendly health care.”
“The Miriam Hospital has a long history of meeting the needs of older patients. We have hired physicians who are expert geriatricians, provided special training for our nurses and nursing assistants, and supported programs designed uniquely for the care of elders,” said Maria Ducharme, DNP, RN, president of The Miriam Hospital. “We must continue to adapt to these changing demographics and are thrilled to be furthering our efforts to provide the best care possible by joining the Age-Friendly Health System initiative.”
“Participating in the Age-Friendly Health System Initiative is a great example of how we are cultivating a culture at Newport Hospital of prioritizing patient safety and enhancing patient experience,” said Crista F. Durand, president of Newport Hospital. “We want our older patients and their families to know that we are aware of their unique needs and continually refining our abilities to respond to them.”
The initiative is based on a series of practices focused on addressing four essential elements of care for older patients:
- What Matters: Align care with each older adult's specific health goals and preferences, including end-of-life care.
- Mentation: Prevent, identify, treat, and manage dementia and depression.
- Mobility: Ensure that older adults move safely every day to maintain function
- Medication: If necessary, use medications that do not interfere with mobility, mentation or what matters to the older adult.
Age-Friendly interventions can be tested and adapted by participating in what are called Age-Friendly Health Systems Action Communities. These are collaborative entities comprised of health care teams from all over the country who are committed to sharing data and learning together. All teams strive toward reliably implementing best practices across emergency departments, intensive care units, medical-surgical units, general wards, and primary and specialty care settings.
Lifespan’s Age-Friendly interventions will initially focus on mobility, volunteer support, doll therapy, geriatric resource nurse training, and medication alerts.