Moving towards the Age-friendly hospital. A paradigm shift for the hospital-based care of the elderly.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5770/cgj.v14i4.8Keywords:
Age friendly, hospital services, adverse outcomes, models of careAbstract
Care of the older adult in the acute care hospital is becoming more challenging. Patients 65-years and older account for 35% of hospital discharges and 45% of hospital days. Up to one-third of the hospitalized frail elderly loses independent functioning in one or more activities of daily living as a result of the ‘hostile environment’ that is present in the acute hospitals. A critical deficit of health care workers with expertise and experience in the care of the elderly also jeopardizes successful care delivery in the acute hospital setting.
We propose a paradigm shift in the culture and practice of event-driven acute hospital-based care of the elderly which we call the Age-Friendly Hospital concept. Guiding principles include: a favorable physical environment; zero tolerance for ageism throughout the organization; an integrated process to develop comprehensive services using the geriatric approach; assistance with appropriateness decision-making and fostering links between the hospital and the community.
Summary The Age-Friendly Hospital concept we propose may lead the way to enable hospitals in the fast-moving health care system to deliver high quality care without jeopardizing risk-benefit, function, and quality of life balances for the frail elderly.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors contributing to the Candian Geriatrics Journal retain copyright of their work, with exclusive publication rights granted to the Canadian Geriatrics Society upon article acceptance. Read the journal's full copyright and open access policy.