086 – Interview: Creating Age-Friendly Health Systems at UCSF

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with Dr. Stephanie Rogers, MD MPH, about creating Age-Friendly Health Systems at UCSF, and the specific programs they’ve developed to make hospitalization safer and better for older adults. They discuss:

• What are Age-Friendly Health Systems, and why do older adults need them?
• Why Age-Friendly Health Systems emphasize the “4 Ms”: mobility, mentation, medications, and what matters
• How an Age-Friendly Health System differs from usual healthcare
• Why hospitalization is often so risky for older people
• What are Acute Care for Elders (ACE) units and how they help prevent problems such as falls, delirium, and loss of independence
• How UCSF’s Hip Fracture Co-Management Service provides better care and improves recovery
• UCSF’s Delirium Reduction Campaign, which uses a tool called “AWOL” to check every hospitalized patient for delirium
• How delirium can be prevented, and what UCSF recommends that families do
• How UCSF uses Patient and Family Advisory Councils to improve care
• How to find an Age-Friendly Health System near you

Related episodes: 

039 – Interview: Creating Age-Friendly Health Systems

062 – Interview: Preventing Hospital Delirium & Maintaining Brain Health

Related Resources:

• About Age-Friendly Health Systems:
  • Creating Age-Friendly Health Systems – A vision for better care of older adults
  • Institute for Healthcare Improvement Initiatives: Age-Friendly Health Systems
• UCSF Geriatric Inpatient Services:
  • Welcome to UCSF’s Acute Care for Elders Unit
  • UCSF Hip Fracture Protocol
  • UCSF Delirium Reduction Campaign (includes information on how families can help!)
• About UCSF’s “AWOL” Delirium Screening Tool
• Related articles on Better Health While Aging:
  • Hospital Delirium: What to know & do
  • 10 Things to Know About Delirium

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