The Institute for Healthcare Improvement recently recognized MedStar Mobile Healthcare – Mobile Integrated Health as an Age-Friendly Health System Participant. MedStar is the first emergency service provider to be recognized for their efforts in implementing age-friendly care, which includes a focus on fall prevention. Health Resources and Services Administration Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (HRSA GWEP) funding has supported a Geriatric Practice Leadership Institute to educate and support healthcare organization teams across the country for implementing age-friendly initiatives within their services and practice. As a result, several teams have received recognition as an Age-Friendly Health System (AFHS) Committed to Care Excellence – including our own HSC Health Center for Older Adults and HSC Health Family Medicine Clinics, and now MedStar as well.
This designation is also in alignment with the city of Fort Worth, which has been recognized as Age-Friendly and Dementia-Friendly, as well as educational efforts. Students who are involved with EMS experiences become familiar with these data-driven, evidence-based Age-Friendly approaches for older adult care that then align with care received in HSC Health clinics.
As part of the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement, we are among the first health systems in the country to implement age-friendly health care. MedStar now joins an international group of more than 2,700 health systems working to tailor care to patients’ goals and preferences and to deliver care that is consistently of the highest quality.
The four essential elements of an Age-Friendly Health System are known as the 4Ms:
- What Matters: Know and align care with each older adult’s specific health outcome goals and care preferences including, but not limited to, end-of-life care, and across settings of care.
- Medication: If medication is necessary, use Age-Friendly medication that does not interfere with What Matters to the older adult, Mobility, or Mentation across settings of care.
- Mentation: Prevent, identify, treat, and manage dementia, depression, and delirium across settings of care.
- Mobility: Ensure that older adults move safely every day to maintain function, prevent falls, and do What Matters.
You can learn more in the Guide to Using the 4Ms in the Care of Older Adults.