March 19, 2024- Imagine a primary care practice whose care team is just as concerned about what matters to their patients as they are about what’s the matter with them. There’s nothing stopping primary care teams from adopting such an approach in their offices today. But those who can collaborate with like-minded providers in their health systems – i.e., acute-care hospitals, emergency departments, post-acute facilities or rehab centers – may find it easier to create and sustain an “age-friendly” approach in the doctor’s office.
“Already, hospital systems are seeing the positive impact of geriatric specialty care in emergency settings and operating rooms,” Shelley Lyford, CEO and chair of West Health, was quoted as saying in January 2023 when the nonprofit foundation and San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare announced a partnership to create an “age-friendly” care model spanning the entire healthcare network. “Just think of the impact when that level of care extends throughout the entire system in an intentional and coordinated manner.”
Age-Friendly
“Age-Friendly Health Systems” is an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States. It is intended to align safe, equitable, evidence-based care with what matters to the older adult and their family caregivers. As of January 2024, there were about 3,800 IHI-recognized Age-Friendly Health System participants.
Read on in the latest issue of Repertoire Magazine.