Age-Friendly Health System

Monica Coles, Gerontology CNS and Annie Phillips-Smith, 10 West UD are demonstrating three of the 5 Carilion Values in that they are very Compassionate and Committed to the provision of high-quality care for the older adult. In so doing, their Curiosity led them to an Evidence Based initiative called Age-Friendly Health System. An Age-Friendly Health System is one in which clinical care settings reliably implement four geriatric care practices (4Ms: What Matters, Medications, Mentation, and Mobility) in a manner consistent with evidence-based best practice. 

Carilion Health System has been recognized as being an Age-Friendly Health System Participant. This means we are on the journey to becoming an Age-Friendly Health System and have submitted a description of how we will be putting the 4Ms into practice across all settings and with every encounter. 

The 4Ms consist of: 

What Matters: 

Understanding what each patient’s health goals and preferences are across settings to know and align care, including (but not limited to) end-of-life. 

Medication: 

If medications are necessary, using age- friendly medications that do not interfere with What Matters, Mentation or Mobility. 

Mentation: 

Preventing, identifying, treating and managing dementia, depression and delirium across care settings. 

Mobility: 

Ensuring that older adults move safely every day to maintain function and do What Matter’s to them. 

The 4Ms are a framework, not a program. It is designed to provide safe and effective care to a rapidly growing population segment through the redirection of quality, safety and care delivery resources to focus on proven age-friendly practices.  

We are excited to embark on this journey of ensuring our older adults are receiving high quality care consistent with what matters to them.