Riley, who spearheaded the application process for the hospital, adds that staff also benefit from the designation, as they’re able to learn about what is working well in other facilities in our region and across the country. As part of the Age-Friendly Health Systems Action Community, CVPH SNF is implementing evidence-based practices focused on addressing four essential elements of care for older patients:
- What Matters: Know and align care with each older adult’s specific health outcome goals and care preferences including end-of-life care.
- Medication: If medication is necessary, use age-friendly medications that do not interfere with what matters to the older adult, mobility or mentation.
- Mentation: Prevent, identify, treat and manage dementia, depression and delirium.
- Mobility: Ensure that older adults move safely every day in order to maintain function and do what matters to them.
CVPH SNF is recognized as a member of an international group of more than 2,700 health care facilities working to tailor care to patients’ goals and preferences and deliver care that is consistently of the highest quality. The Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative was launched in 2017 by The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in partnership with the American Hospital Association and Catholic Health Association of the United States. For more information, visit www.ihi.org/agefriendly.