Understanding Elder Friendly Care
As the number of older adults grows globally, age-related healthcare innovations are increasingly important. Elder-friendly or age-friendly care involves implementing specific, evidence-based practices to address the unique needs of older patients, particularly those who are frail. Toolkits provide a practical guide for healthcare providers to adopt these changes, ensuring care is safe and aligned with individual goals and priorities.
The Purpose of the Toolkit
The Elder Friendly Care Toolkit aims to improve senior care by:
- Minimizing functional and cognitive decline during hospital stays.
- Improving patient and family satisfaction through involvement in care planning.
- Preventing adverse events like falls and delirium.
- Reducing the use of restraints.
- Decreasing preventable readmissions.
- Educating staff on geriatric issues.
Key Components and the "4Ms" Framework
Many initiatives, including those from Alberta Health Services and Age-Friendly Health Systems, utilize the "4Ms" framework. This framework standardizes age-friendly care:
- What Matters: Focusing care on the older adult's goals and preferences, discussed with the patient and family.
- Medication: Reviewing and potentially reducing medications to minimize harm and falls.
- Mentation: Addressing cognitive function, with focus on delirium, dementia, and depression through strategies like sleep support and screening.
- Mobility: Ensuring safe daily movement to maintain function, assessing mobility, and preventing falls.
Implementing the Elder Friendly Care Toolkit
Implementation is a systematic process involving:
- Assessment: Evaluating current care practices.
- Team Development: Creating a dedicated change team.
- Education and Training: Providing staff with necessary knowledge and skills.
- Piloting Changes: Testing new approaches on a small scale.
- Evaluation and Feedback: Continuously assessing performance and gathering input.
- Scaling Up: Expanding successful practices.
Comparison: General vs. Specialized Toolkits
While core principles are shared, toolkits can have different focuses:
| Feature | General Age-Friendly Approach (e.g., IHI 4Ms) | Acute Care EFC Toolkit (e.g., Alberta) |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Holistic care for all older adults across settings. | Addresses frail older adults in hospitals. |
| Key Outcome | Care aligned with patient values; reduced harm. | Reduced hospital complications, shortened stay, prevented re-admission. |
| Target Audience | Broad multidisciplinary teams. | Acute care teams. |
| Implementation | Action communities, online resources. | Often specific workshops, resources, change team methodologies. |
| Evidence Base | The "4Ms" framework. | Regional studies. |
The Positive Impact on Senior Care
Implementing these toolkits has led to improved patient experiences and satisfaction, reduced adverse events, and increased staff job satisfaction and confidence. By focusing on patient goals and addressing geriatric syndromes, care shifts from reactive to proactive and person-centered.
An Authoritative Resource
Explore an age-friendly primary health care toolkit from the World Health Organization on the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Bookshelf here: Age-Friendly PHC Centres Toolkit.
Conclusion
Initiatives like Alberta's Elder-Friendly Care project and the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement demonstrate the evolution of evidence-based senior care. Utilizing frameworks like the "4Ms" empowers teams to provide high-quality, compassionate care. The Elder Friendly Care Toolkit is a transformative approach that prioritizes a patient's dignity, function, and desires.
