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Description

There is an increasing need to optimize hospital care for older adults as Age Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) become increasingly popular. Geriatric patients may often be subject to extended hospital stays, which can result in functional decline, increases in hospital-acquired injury, infections, and neurocognitive deterioration. Early acute inpatient rehabilitation (IRF) is known to improve functional optimization of older adults as compared to therapy in a skilled nursing facility (SNF). In this study we demonstrate the effect of a structured program based on the 4Ms of AFHS in our newly established Acute Care for Elders (ACE) unit, a first in Arizona.

The data has shown that reducing LOS by identifying the right patients for acute rehab early on can improve level of function and lower costs. As the only ACE unit in Arizona, this unit is positioned to be a prime evidence-based model for implementation of ACE units in other hospitals to improve the quality of care statewide and beyond.

Disciplines

Geriatrics | Health Services Administration | Health Services Research | Internal Medicine | Quality Improvement

Document Type

Poster

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Acute Care for Elders Unit Implementation at Banner Health: A Quality Improvement Analysis

There is an increasing need to optimize hospital care for older adults as Age Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) become increasingly popular. Geriatric patients may often be subject to extended hospital stays, which can result in functional decline, increases in hospital-acquired injury, infections, and neurocognitive deterioration. Early acute inpatient rehabilitation (IRF) is known to improve functional optimization of older adults as compared to therapy in a skilled nursing facility (SNF). In this study we demonstrate the effect of a structured program based on the 4Ms of AFHS in our newly established Acute Care for Elders (ACE) unit, a first in Arizona.

The data has shown that reducing LOS by identifying the right patients for acute rehab early on can improve level of function and lower costs. As the only ACE unit in Arizona, this unit is positioned to be a prime evidence-based model for implementation of ACE units in other hospitals to improve the quality of care statewide and beyond.