ABSTRACT
The ongoing nursing shortage and the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic have further challenged nursing staff with devastating shortages. This article describes the Faculty Nurse Attending Model, an innovative approach incorporating nursing faculty into staffing and the ongoing interdisciplinary rounds at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. The Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing faculty actively participates in the pilot unit to support nursing practice and ensure that the curricula address contemporary practice.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Pandemics , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , Hospitals , New York City , Faculty, NursingABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has made starkly clear that the public health system in the United States can significantly impact the health and well-being of older adults. Prior to the pandemic, healthy aging was not prioritized by public health agencies, despite the growing population of individuals ages 65 and older. Trust for America's Health, in partnership with The John A. Hartford Foundation, has been working to expand the public health role in healthy aging, as well as better coordinate with age-friendly movements, both of which have contributed to a more efficient and effective COVID-19 response.
ABSTRACT
This new prevention paradigm could benefit all.
Subject(s)
Elder Abuse , Teaching Rounds , Aged , Elder Abuse/prevention & control , Humans , Nursing HomesABSTRACT
Age-Friendly Health Systems is a movement to ensure that all care and support for and with older adults across all settings is age-friendly care. Age-Friendly Health Systems provide staff, leadership, and care partner education based on the 4M Framework (What Matters, Medications, Mentation, Mobility). Nursing homes and other settings are often left out of local, state, or federal strategic plans on aging. In addition, limited quality and quantity of nursing home staff impact new program implementation. We consider how programs and services to support older adults can create and sustain an Age-Friendly Ecosystem, including a meaningful role for nursing homes.
Subject(s)
Ecosystem , Nursing Staff , Aged , Humans , Leadership , Nursing HomesABSTRACT
Nurses have the opportunity to make a difference for caregivers.
Subject(s)
Caregivers/psychology , Health Facilities , Quality of Health Care , COVID-19 , HumansABSTRACT
A disproportionate number of older adult residents of U.S. nursing homes have died during the COVID-19 pandemic. The novelty of the virus spurred frequently changing guidance as nursing facilities navigated response efforts. In May 2020, the 6-month COVID-19 Rapid Response Network for Nursing Homes (RRN) was launched to leverage the concept of huddles across U.S. nursing homes to reduce COVID-19-related morbidity, mortality, and transmission by identifying best practices to rapidly implement, fostering connections between nursing homes, and refocusing the national narrative on optimism for nursing home care response efforts. Daily 20-min huddles transitioned to twice weekly in the program's final two months. A total of 93 huddles featured 103 speakers with 1960 participants engaging in both live huddles and asynchronous learning. 90.33% of participants said they learned at least two new ideas by participating and 89.17% strongly agreed or agreed that participating improved their ability to lead change in their organization. Qualitative data echoed gratitude for a centralized source of information and best practices and the sense of positivity and community the RRN provided. Leveraging nursing home huddles at the national, regional, local, system, or facility level may serve as a guidepost for future pandemics or work where guidance is new or quickly evolving.
ABSTRACT
By 2030 more people in the United States will be older than age sixty-five than younger than age five. Our health care system is unprepared for the complexity of caring for a heterogenous population of older adults-a problem that has been magnified by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Here, as part of the National Academy of Medicine's Vital Directions for Health and Health Care: Priorities for 2021 initiative, we identify six vital directions to improve the care and quality of life for all older Americans. The next administration must create an adequately prepared workforce; strengthen the role of public health; remediate disparities and inequities; develop, evaluate, and implement new approaches to care delivery; allocate resources to achieve patient-centered care and outcomes, including palliative and end-of-life care; and redesign the structure and financing of long-term services and supports. If these priorities are addressed proactively, an infrastructure can be created that promotes better health and equitable, goal-directed care that recognizes the preferences and needs of older adults.