Overview

According to the US Census Bureau, the US population age 65+ years is expected to nearly double over the next 30 years to an estimated 83.7 million in 2050.

Age-Friendly Health Systems is an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), in partnership with the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA).

4Ms Framework

Becoming an Age-Friendly Health System entails reliably providing a set of four evidence-based elements of high-quality care, known as the “4Ms,” to all older adults in a healthcare system: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility.

What Matters:

Knowing and aligning care with each older adult's specific health outcome goals and care preferences including, but not limited to, end-of-life care

Medication:

If medication is necessary, prescribing appropriate medications in doses that do not interfere with quality of life.

Mentation (Mind):

Preventing, identifying, treating, and managing dementia, depression, and delirium

Mobility:

Ensuring older adults are able to move safely every day, both to maintain normal, healthy functions and to prevent injury.

Most providers already do some of the 4Ms some of the time for some of their older patients. The goal of an Age-Friendly Health System:

· Implement all of the 4Ms reliably for every older adult every day

· Prevent avoidable harms to patients, and

· Deliver care that is consistent with what matters most to each older adult and their family, which is a lot