AACH reaches a milestone in pursuit of Age-Friendly designation

Asante Ashland Community Hospital has been named an Age-Friendly Health Systems “participant,” which means it’s on its way to become a certified Age-Friendly hospital by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement.

“Due to the expertise and diligence of a dedicated Age-Friendly workgroup, and oversight from the Age-Friendly steering committee, AACH did a ‘soft’ go-live on April 18,” said Steven Hersch, MD, hospital administrator and vice president of Medical Affairs. “With proof of our work and a mechanism in place to move forward with process improvements and outcome measurements, we were granted the privilege of identifying ourselves as an Age-Friendly Health System participant.”

The institute recognizes clinical care settings that are working toward reliable practice of evidence-based interventions for all older adults in their care known as the 4Ms (4Ms: What Matters, Medications, Mentation, Mobility).

This focus is also part of Asante’s efforts to shorten lengths of stay, reduce falls, improve mobility and other quality indicators. Further, by providing the right care to the right patient, the hospital can protect the most vulnerable members of the community from developing hospital-acquired infections and help them recover and return to their regular lives.

As of January, more than 2,900 health care organizations have earned either level 1 (participant) or level 2 (committed to care excellence) recognition in the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement.

To reach level 1, teams must have successfully developed plans to implement the 4Ms. Level 2 requires that the hospital has three months of data of older adults who received 4Ms care.

“The workgroup will continue to refine processes, identify needed education and address documentation and flow improvements as more patients are systematically admitted to the program,” Dr. Hersch said. “With a solid understanding and foundation in place, the Age-Friendly program soon will be available to all patients 65 and older.”