Sonoma Valley Hospital joins effort to boost elder care

Sonoma Valley Hospital has joined an initiative that aligns it with a national movement aimed at enhancing health care for older adults through person-centered care.

The Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, launched in 2017, is helping hospitals and other health care settings to implement a set of evidence-based interventions specifically designed to improve care for older adults. Its goal is to build a social movement so that all health care involving older adults is age friendly.

“This initiative is crucial for Sonoma Valley Hospital as it prioritizes optimizing care for older adults, aligning with the community’s aging demographic,” said Dr. Becky Spear, geriatric nurse practitioner at Sonoma Valley Hospital. “The goals include improving patient outcomes, enhancing communication, ensuring coordinated and person-centered care and ultimately fostering a health care environment that meets the unique needs of older adults in Sonoma Valley.”

The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), in partnership with the American Hospital Association and Catholic Health Association of the United States, are collaborating on the initiative, which is being implemented at no cost to patients.

“Participating in the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative will involve some costs for Sonoma Valley Hospital, such as staff training, implementing new protocols and possibly investing in equipment to enhance care for older adults,” Spear said. “However, the potential benefits, including improved patient outcomes and satisfaction, often outweigh the associated expenses.”

Sonoma Valley Hospital has been designated as an Age-Friendly Health System Participant, the first level of recognition from IHI.

“As we continue to implement changes throughout the hospital, we are working toward earning Level 2 recognition as Committed to Care Excellence,” Spear said.

In the hospital’s initial phase of implementation, evidence-based interventions will be implemented for all inpatients age 65 and older.

“The foundational principals of the Age-Friendly Health System include what matters, medications, mentation and mobility (called the 4Ms; see sidebar),” Spear said. “Our interventions include discussions about what is most important to patients, reviewing patients’ medications with a geriatric lens, screening for delirium and a focus on regularly mobilizing patients.”

During each hospitalization, the four foundational principals will be addressed and documented in a patient’s electronic medical record, which is available to their primary care providers and specialists.

“With access to this information, best practices can be carried through in the outpatient space,” Spear said.

Patient interventions can be tested and adapted by Sonoma Valley Hospital and other health care providers around the world by participating in Age-Friendly Health Systems Action Committees, which connect health care teams committed to sharing data and learning together. All teams strive to reliably implement age-friendly best practices across emergency departments, medical-surgical units and intensive care units as well as in primary and specialty care settings.

Spear said the initiative also emphasizes improving collaboration about health service for older adults within hospitals and other health care facilities.

“Integrating the 4Ms of geriatric care lays a foundation for addressing the numerous, complex needs of older adults that extend beyond medical diagnosis,” she said. “When the entire care team is caring for a patient with this foundational set, patient outcomes are improved, care that is consistent with the patient’s wishes is provided and there is a reduced potential for errors.”

Some older patients have acute issues or chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease or cognitive impairment, requiring specialized medical attention.

“Improving health care involves ensuring access to geriatric specialists, dementia care and other services tailored to the unique needs of older individuals,” she said.

Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual preferences, needs and values is also crucial, Spear said.

“Implementing person-centered services ensures that health care services align with the goals and priorities of older adults, fostering a more compassionate and effective health care system,” she said.

Spear said she is proud of this work that is being done at Sonoma Valley Hospital.

“We are implementing the most up-to-date, evidence-based practice in geriatric care and it will have such a positive impact on our patients,” she said. “We are right up there with major institutions and industry leaders as early adopters of the Age-Friendly Health Systems.”

The alignment of Sonoma Valley Hospital with the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative marks another significant step to boost health care for the elderly in the Valley.

In October, Sonoma Valley was designated as a Dementia Friendly Community — one that is taking action to foster quality of life for people living with dementia and their care partners by decreasing stigma, increasing opportunities for meaningful social interaction and offering support in addressing the changing needs of people living with dementia.

Also, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is now available to Valley residents through Providence PACE Center in Napa. The program offers personalized plans of care, created by an interdisciplinary team that addresses all preventive, primary, acute and long-term service needs.

Reach the reporter, Dan Johnson, at daniel.johnson@sonomanews.com.