Glen Cove Hospital has been recognized as an Age-Friendly Center of Excellence by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The hospital recently achieved Committed to Care Excellence recognition, which is the initiative’s highest designation.
The number of Americans aged 65 years and older is expected to nearly double over the next 30 years, from 43.1 million in 2012 to an estimated 83.7 million in 2050, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Age-Friendly Health Systems is an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and the IHI, in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States, designed to help hospitals and other facilities implement a set of evidence-based interventions specifically designed to improve care for older adults across care settings.
“With our initial Age-Friendly Center of Excellence recognition the hospital earned last December, we are building on our efforts to care for older patients holistically,” said Dr. Usman Khan, director of geriatric medicine at Glen Cove Hospital. “Our aim is to not only treat patients’ diseases but to address each patient’s goals and preferences, which took a shift in our entire hospital culture.”
Khan explained IHI’s initiative is based on a series of practices focused on addressing four essential elements of care for older patients known as the 4Ms:
- What Matters Most: Know and align care with patient-specific goals and care preferences, including but not limited to end-of-life care.
- Medication: Use of age-friendly medication that does not interfere with what matters most to patients, mobility or mentation.
- Mentation: Prevent, identify, treat and manage dementia, depression and delirium.
- Mobility: Ensure that older adults move safely to maintain and function.
“Glen Cove Hospital has always been at the forefront of patient care and we are proud to be part of this vital effort to provide every older adult with the best care possible,” said Kerri Anne Scanlon, the hospital’s executive director. “The future of health care requires innovative approaches that value older adults, address their unique needs and provide them with high quality care. Improving the way we care for older adults can help us achieve fewer avoidable hospital readmissions, better outcomes and more satisfied patients and families.
To provide the highest level of care to older adults, Khan said nurses and nurse practitioner took part in an online education program geared towards honing knowledge and skills for taking care of elder adults. Staff took coursework during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and learning efforts are ongoing.
“We want the community to feel comfortable bringing loved ones to the hospital,” said Khan. “Future plans include opening a Caregiver Center and developing a Mindful Unit to treat patients with a cognitive disorder as well as a medical issue.”
For more information about the program, call the hospital at: 516-674-7300.
