Applying the Age-Friendly Health System Framework to Long Term Care Settings

Recognizing the growing need for geriatric expert health care, a collaborative of the John A. Hartford Foundation, Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), American Hospital Association, and Catholic Health Association of the United States established the Age-Friendly Health System (AFHS) initiative to increase quality, effective person-centered healthcare for older adults (1-3). Age friendly care follows evidence-based practices, causes no harm and focuses on “what matters” to each older adult, their family and caregivers. The four core elements – the 4Ms framework – provide an evidence-based framework for age-friendly care (Table 1). The 4Ms include “what matters”, “mobility”, “mentation”, and “medications”. The 4Ms are not meant to be implemented individually but rather incorporated together to provide agefriendly care (4)