Chairman’s File: Creating age-friendly health systems

Sep 23, 2019 - 10:20 AM by
Brian Gragnolati
gragnolati-900x400

Hospitals and health systems are committed to improving the health of people at every stage of life. Our aging demographics — more than 46 million Americans age 65 and over, a number projected to double by 2060 — mean that age-friendly health care is an urgent part of our mission.  

Age-Friendly Health Systems is an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in partnership with the AHA and the Catholic Health Association of the United States. The goal is to rapidly spread the “4Ms” Framework — What Matters, Medication, Mentation and Mobility — to 20% of U.S. hospitals and medical practices by 2020.

To help caregivers prepare for the future, we are tapping into the best expertise, our members. We have created the Age-Friendly Health Systems Action Community, a seven-month virtual community of hospital-based and ambulatory teams that will test and adopt the 4Ms Framework, widely recognized as essential elements of high-quality care for older adults.

The AHA Action Community will meet regularly online beginning this fall and participate in peer coaching webinars and ongoing testing of age-friendly interventions. I urge you to enroll (through November) as many teams as you wish from your hospital or health system. 

Most of us will care for an older family member during our lifetime. We must all prepare ourselves to make care better and friendlier for older adults, and the Age-Friendly Action Community is a great step in that direction. 
 

Related News Articles

Headline
CDC director talks hospitals’ role in safeguarding nation from next pandemic
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Mandy Cohen, M.D., April 16 shared with attendees of AHA’s 2024 Annual Membership Meeting how her team is…
Headline
Administration releases strategy to protect against emerging global health threats
The White House April 16 released a strategy to guide the federal government in protecting the nation from infectious disease threats by working with other…
Blog
Advancing Black Maternal Health Through Strategic Use of the AHA’s Health Equity Roadmap
Since 2018, Black Maternal Health Week has been a national observance from April 11–17. This annual observance was created by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance…
Headline
Report: Women with health-related social needs less likely to get mammogram
Women with health-related social needs such as food insecurity, housing instability and lack of transportation were less likely to report receiving a mammogram…
Headline
OIG recommends Medicare improve rate setting for clinical diagnostic tests for future public health emergencies
For future public health emergencies, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should improve how it sets Medicare rates for clinical diagnostic…
Headline
OMB releases updated standards for federal data on race and ethnicity
The Office of Management and Budget March 28 released its final updated standards for Federal agencies on maintaining, collecting and presenting data on race…