The Census Bureau projects 2030 as the first time older people will outnumber children in the U.S. As people age, health needs can become more complex and demanding. We see in practice and in our personal lives. Mental health and cognition, physical health and mobility, medical complexity and advance care planning are some of the areas of specialized care for older individuals. When we talk about a national population aging, these needs challenge the healthcare industry to respond.
A recent New York Times article talks about the topic and efforts to accommodate growing need for older-adult care. Something the Institute for Healthcare Improvement also encourages is “age-friendly health systems” that focus on individual health outcome goals and care preferences, safe treatments, mentation and mobility for older patients.
Cathleen Obray, MD, MHS, associate medical director for Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at Intermountain Healthcare, is helping to drive Intermountain’s efforts to support age-friendly care. She shares some 2020 initiatives:
- Setting best practices: Primary Care will continue to partner with Neurosciences to more fully implement the CPM for mild cognitive impairment and dementia, as well as with the Musculoskeletal Clinical Program to develop a CPM for bone health, osteoporosis, falls and facture prevention
- Increasing patient education: The Office of Health Promotion and Wellness is developing brain fitness programs; and, under the leadership of palliative care and Rebekah Couper-Noles, Intermountain is engaged in comprehensive efforts to improve the way we approach and deliver advance care planning
- Expanding support beyond the clinic: The Medical Group is partnering with HealthCare Partners of Nevada to learn best practices in senior care through their MyGen Clinics, and piloting House Calls at-home visit programs in Southwest Utah in partnership with Castell, Homecare & Hospice and Care Management
- Promote provider education: Intermountain is encouraging continuing medical education starting with a “Geriatrics Update 2020: Every Clinician a Geriatrician” conference on February 7th, directed by Dr. Obray and Dr. Erika Noonan (click here to learn more and register), as well as a 2020 edition of the Project ECHO: Dementia Care provider course first launched in 2019
- Homecare & Hospice: Advances approaches to accommodate care for seniors and others in the home including life-care support through Homespire and palliative care
These are just some of the ways in which Intermountain is proactively developing initiatives to prepare for emerging trends and future needs of the populations we serve—steps we can take to model behaviors and actions for the healthcare industry.