Transforming Healthcare: Making Hospitals More Age-Friendly for Parkinson's Patients
Transforming Healthcare: Making Hospitals More Age-Friendly for Parkinson's Patients
The Parkinson's Foundation has recently published a significant article highlighting the imperative changes needed in hospital systems to cater specifically to older patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Featured in the December issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, this article outlines how hospital protocols can become more age-friendly, thereby reducing the inherent risks these patients face during hospital stays.
The Need for Age-Friendly Hospitals
Parkinson's disease, recognized as the second-most common neurodegenerative condition in the United States, poses unique challenges. With the growing population of older adults, the necessity to adapt hospital experiences for these patients is critical. The article points to statistics that show people with PD often face exacerbated risks while hospitalized, such as worsening symptoms and increased fatalities from complications like aspiration pneumonia, which underscores the urgency for a systematic rethink of care.
The Age-Friendly Hospital Measure
Implemented on January 1, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced the Age-Friendly Hospital Measure, mandating that hospitals in the Medicare program adhere to specific care protocols known as the 4Ms Framework. This framework emphasizes identifying what matters to the patient, managing medications responsibly, ensuring mobility, and mitigating the risk of mental declines.
Sneha Mantri, MS, MD, FAA, Chief Medical Officer at the Parkinson's Foundation, commented:
“As the CMS Age-Friendly Hospital Measure takes hold, hospitals are moving towards safer and improved care for older adults. Our aim is to ensure that individuals with PD receive optimal support in their treatment.”
Implementing the 4Ms Framework
The article provides a thorough exploration of how hospitals can incorporate the 4Ms Framework into their everyday operations in ways that prioritize Parkinson's patients. Some key recommendations include:
- - Eliciting Patient Healthcare Goals: Tailoring care plans to reflect what is most important to the patients, ensuring that their preferences guide clinical decisions.
- - Responsible Medication Management: Streamlining how medications are prescribed, administered, and monitored to avoid complications from inappropriate use.
- - Frailty Screening and Intervention: Identifying vulnerable patients early on to provide the needed support promptly.
- - Addressing Social Vulnerabilities: Recognizing broader social issues that may affect patient health and wellbeing.
- - Leadership in Age-Friendly Care: Establishing committed leadership to drive age-friendly initiatives within hospital frameworks.
These recommendations not only offer a conceptual framework but also provide practical pathways for their implementation, reflecting real hospital workflows and enhancing patient safety.
The Road Ahead
The path to creating age-friendly hospital environments, especially for Parkinson's patients, requires hospitals to adopt specific strategies and ensure adherence to new regulatory measures. With the launch of the Parkinson's Foundation's Hospital Care Initiative, the organization emphasizes the critical role of education and resources available for hospitals to facilitate these transitions. This includes resources like the Parkinson's Foundation Hospital Safety Guide and collaborative educational programs for medical staff.
Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, FCCM, notes in the article that hospitals are increasingly searching for tailored approaches to care for older patients with specific diseases such as Parkinson's.
“This paper offers a disease-specific playbook to better protect and meet the complex needs of older adults,” he adds.
Conclusion
As healthcare systems evolve to accommodate an aging population, the focus on providing age-friendly care is becoming ever more crucial. Parkinson's patients deserve specialized attention that considers their unique challenges—by implementing the Age-Friendly Hospital Measure, hospitals can significantly enhance the quality of care for these vulnerable individuals. The Parkinson's Foundation continues to advocate for improvements in clinical care practices, underlining their commitment to enhancing life for those living with Parkinson’s disease. To learn more about the ongoing initiatives and available resources, healthcare professionals are encouraged to visit Parkinson.org/HospitalCare.
This initiative marks a promising step toward ensuring older adults with Parkinson’s disease can access the healthcare they need in a supportive and safe environment.
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Topics Health）
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