AACH project reaches out to the community

Today, there are more than 46 million adults over age 65 living in the United States. By 2050, that number is expected to almost double. In the Rogue Valley, the growth rate of people over 65 is twice the national average. To meet the growing need, Asante is establishing Asante Ashland Community Hospital as an Age-Friendly Hospital that can serve our entire region and transform the quality of care and outcomes for older adults.

Asante Foundation is raising funds to help Asante Ashland add depth and expertise to the care of patients age 65 and older. This includes providing a tailored and coordinated continuum of care to older adults by collaborating with local physicians, long-term care facilities, nurses, social workers and family caregivers.

This will be a new service line and will not displace any of the existing services at Asante Ashland.

Hospital certification

There are two main areas of certification that will be pursued as part of the Age-Friendly focus at Asante Ashland: Age-Friendly Health System designation and Age-Friendly Emergency Department certification.

Staffing

Additional positions will help elevate this program at Asante Ashland:

• An Age-Friendly care consultant with geriatrics expertise will help Asante make smart and educated decisions about how to move forward.
• A chair of geriatrics will be appointed to serve as both a community-based physician in Ashland and as a medical director to the inpatient services at Asante Ashland.
• A nurse practitioner with a special interest and training in geriatrics, will lead the interdisciplinary team who will provide the daily clinical care.

Philanthropy and community investment have planted the seeds and nurtured the growth of numerous successful and transformational care models, projects and programs at Asante Ashland and across Asante. To create an Age-Friendly Health System at Asante Ashland will take visionary partners who have passion for a healthy community.

The foundation aims to partner with community members who have an interest in making a philanthropic investment that will help ensure the well-being of aging patients and give peace of mind for their caregivers and loved ones. Employees can contribute through the Foundation’s Employee Giving program or email Susan Aaronson.