AHA Issue Brief on Meeting Complex Needs of Older Adults Across Care Settings

A new AHA issue brief offers a prototype practice model to help hospitals and health systems meet the complex needs of older adults across care settings. The model focuses health systems on knowing and acting on each older adult’s specific health outcome goals and care preferences; using age-friendly medications; identifying and managing depression, dementia and delirium; and ensuring that older adults move safely to maintain function and do what matters. This model is currently being tested in five U.S. health systems: Anne Arundel Medical Center, Ascension, Kaiser Permanente, Providence St. Joseph Health and Trinity Health. Project partners are the AHA’s Health Research & Educational Trust, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the Catholic Health Association of the United States, with support and leadership from the John A. Hartford Foundation.