As our population ages, the need for health systems that cater specifically to older adults becomes increasingly critical. The Age-Friendly (AF) Care Model is at the forefront of this transformation, ensuring that health care systems and nursing homes provide the highest quality of care tailored to the unique needs of older adults. It is a holistic approach designed to enhance the quality of life for older adults and specifically those being cared for in the long term post-acute care (LTPAC) setting.
What is the Age-Friendly Care Model?
Age-Friendly Care revolves around the 4Ms Framework: What Matters, Medication, Mentation and Mobility. This framework ensures that every aspect of residents’ care is tailored to their unique needs and preferences, according to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's (IHI's)Age-Friendly Health System. The Age-Friendly Care Model is designed to improve the care of older adults by focusing on four essential elements, known as the “4Ms”:
- What Matters: By engaging in meaningful conversations to ensure their voices are heard and their wishes are honored, caregivers are better able to understand and align care with each older adult’s specific health goals and care preferences.
- Medication: The goal is to ensure that medications support, rather than hinder, what matters most to our residents by carefully reviewing and managing medications routinely and with transfers in care to avoid unnecessary prescriptions and adverse effects.
- Mentation: Mental health is a key component of overall well-being. Preventing, identifying, treating and managing conditions that impact mentation such as dementia, depression and delirium through various activities and interventions can promote healthy cognitive health in the older population.
- Mobility: Ensuring that older adults move safely every day to maintain function and do what matters to them. Encouraging safe mobility helps maintain function and independence. Implementation of fall prevention strategies and promoting physical activities helps to keep residents active and engaged.
Age-Friendly Health Systems
Age-Friendly Health Systems are those that have integrated the 4Ms into their care processes. This initiative, led by The John A. Hartford Foundation and IHI, in partnership with the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA), aims to ensure that every older adult receives evidence-based care that is safe and aligned with their personal goals.
Benefits of Age-Friendly Health Systems
For residents, Age-Friendly Care means improved quality of life, better health outcomes and enhanced satisfaction. Staff experience more effective and satisfying caregiving, reduced stress and better teamwork. Families gain peace of mind knowing their loved ones are receiving personalized, respectful care. By focusing on the 4Ms, nursing facilities can reduce avoidable Emergency Department (ED) visits, hospital readmissions and enhance overall health outcomes. Implementing the 4Ms can lead to more efficient use of resources and improved cost-effective care.
Becoming a Certified Age-Friendly Nursing Home
Nursing homes can become certified as Age-Friendly by following a structured process that involves integrating the 4Ms into their daily care routines. Here’s how to get started:
- Join the Movement: Nursing homes can join the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement by participating in an Action Community or following a Do-it-Yourself (DIY) pathway. Both options provide support and resources to help implement the 4Ms. A collection of resources, including getting started guides, case studies and insights on making the business case for Age-Friendly Health Systems can be foundon the IHI's website.
- Implement the 4Ms: Develop and execute a plan to integrate the 4Ms into all aspects of care. This includes training staff, adjusting care protocols and continuously monitoring and improving practices.
- Submit Your Care Description: Nursing homes must submit a detailed description of how they are implementing the 4Ms to the IHI. This includes providing data on older adults who have received 4Ms care.
- Achieve Recognition: Once the IHI reviews and approves the submission, the nursing home will be recognized as an Age-Friendly Health System. This recognition demonstrates a commitment to providing high-quality, person-centered care for older adults.
By adopting the 4Ms and Age-Friendly Care Model, nursing homes can significantly enhance the care they provide to older adults, ensuring that their needs and preferences are at the heart of every interaction. Learn about the journey of a fellow nursing home that successfully obtained Age-Friendly certification status by implementing systematic care process focusing on what matters most to their residents. Their initiatives included the "Resident Spotlight" program, which highlighted individual resident preferences and needs, ensuring personalized and meaningful care. Join the movement today and be part of the transformation in resident care.
