Researchers have identified that 32% of individuals over age 70 and approximately 50% of those over age 80 experience a loss of physical function (activities of daily living) during hospitalization.
Implementing specific geriatric models of care can improve hospitalization-associated outcomes, such as:
? Increased likelihood of discharge home instead of to a facility
? Decreased incidence of delirium
? Decreased mortality risk
↘ Shortened hospital length of stay (LOS)
↘ Lower or equal costs of hospital care
Earlier patient mobilization programs in hospitals, such as QCH's "Get Moving Team," decrease the risk of functional decline during hospitalization and significantly reduce hospital care costs in Ontario.
Specialized geriatric nursing resources that provide clinical expertise in our Emergency Department team will deliver person-centered, high-quality care and provide faster access to the necessary services within hours of hospitalization for our patients living with dementia.
The caregivers of our most vulnerable patients deserve early navigation support that is practical and useful in our Emergency Department.
QCH is very well-known for it's innovative lens on geriatric and dementia care.
Highlighting initiatives that benefit our older adults is so crucial to ensuring they become sustainable, receive permanent funding, and can be replicated across hospitals in Ontario.
The work always continues in improving the lives of our older adults in acute care hospitals.
#innovationinhealthcare #personcenteredcare #geriatrics #hospital
Last November, Marion Wright fractured her pelvis in multiple places after falling in her home. When she arrived at QCH, she was completely immobilized and began to wonder what her future would hold.
That changed after a few days when members of the QCH Get Moving team began working with her.
The program has helped over 1,280 patients get home faster, through early and frequent functional mobility training. Some patients are leaving the hospital in better condition than when they arrived.
Marion credits the team for recovering as well as she did and believes she wouldn’t still be living independently without the support of the program.
Read more in Elizabeth Payne’s Ottawa Citizen article: https://lnkd.in/g2jRaS4v
#OttNews #Ottawa
Seniors are leaving this Ottawa hospital in better shape than when they arrived. Here's why that's unusual
ottawacitizen.com