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View All ProductsIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
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View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
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Learn MoreThis blog is taken from a recent HealthStream webinar entitled “Fresh Approaches to Care for an Aging Population.” The webinar was moderated by HealthStream’s Andrea Zalewski, Clinical Program Manager, and featured the following expert panelists:
Adults 65 and older are expected to outnumber their children by 2034. With this increase in the population of older adults, comes an increase in healthcare needs which unfortunately is occurring at the same time as healthcare faces a decrease in the availability of healthcare employees. The situation means that healthcare leaders will need to be more creative and strategic in their approach to caring for this patient population.
Zalewski began by asking Moccia to share some of the challenges and solutions for nurses caring for an aging population in the Emergency Department setting. Moccia stressed that, after dealing with any emergent issues, it was essential to take the time to listen to the patient’s story. She also acknowledged that even in the chaotic environment of the ED, it is important to realize that the ED may be functioning as that patient’s primary care provider and that it may be necessary to address more than just their chief complaint. She also pointed out the helpfulness of tools that lend some structure to the process, such as the 4M Framework that provides a foundation for age-friendly care. This framework also provides the structure to begin conversations about cognitive issues and mental health issues such as depression.
Wharton stressed the importance of the role of caregivers in the ED. She encouraged caregiver preparedness – making sure that the ED staff is provided with a complete list of medications, being honest with their observations about the patient’s physical and mental health, and to be an advocate for the patient. She also stressed that they should be seen as assets to patient care rather than just visitors.
Deger was asked to address the importance of mental health and its’ role in physical health and what treatment for this population should look like. Deger stressed the importance of recognizing that for many adults over the age of 65, there is a complex interplay between physical and cognitive change. “Those changes can include sensory processing changes,” said Deger. He went on to share that more than 20% of adults over the age of 60 have a mental health or neurological condition with neurocognitive changes being the most prevalent followed by depression and substance abuse. He also shared that even before the pandemic 25% of adults over the age of 65 were considered socially isolated which can increase feelings of loneliness and exacerbate mental health disorders.
However, Deger also shared that this demographic exhibits skillful coping from the learned resiliency. Depression is not a normal part of aging and there is a richness to this state of life.
Wharton explained that home-based care is the future of healthcare. People have always wanted to be cared for at home and we learned this from COVID. This was made more easily available through telehealth. Telehealth is more affordable care where providers can expect better volume and better value. Home Care Pulse conducts regular surveys that prove that being at home improves outcomes. Zalewski added “with the population shifting we have to deliver services more quickly and more cost effectively.”
Zalewski shared the good news that healthcare providers are beginning to make changes to the standards of care for this large and growing patient population. Moccia added that an increasing number of Emergency Departments are seeking geriatric accreditation. The American College of Emergency Physicians have created the standards for EDs wishing to achieve this accreditation. She also shared that the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) have created geriatric-focused education modules for nurses, including the incorporation of Age-Friendly Health System requirements. The education is important as hospitals seeking accreditation must be able to demonstrate that they have addressed such topics as fall prevention, lacerations, delirium, neurocognitive impairment, and sepsis.
Moccia also stressed the importance of appropriate patient handoffs to ensure that the patient can transition successfully to another facility, their primary care physician or home. She also emphasized the importance of sharing what treatment the patient received while in the ED and the plan for follow-up care. Moccia also recommended post-discharge phone calls to ensure that the patients have really understood their discharge instructions particularly those related to medications and follow-up care. In addition, Wharton shared that the information gleaned from these calls can help inform additional changes in how this population is cared for.
In closing, Deger spoke to the power of collaborative care models with an embedded mental health professional that can normalize talking about mental health. He added that so much of these health issues are treatable as long as we get someone in the door to a provider. Aging is a gift and hopefully all of us have the gift of entering into elderhood.
HealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
View All ProductsLearn about what HealthStream's healthcare policy management software and how it can help aid your organization efforts.
View All ProductsHealthStream's education helps address diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization, as well as promoting health equity in the communities you serve.
View All ProductsHealthStream offers professional training and education on how to best optimize your reimbursement process within your healthcare organization.
View All ReimbursementTeach your healthcare staff about the revenue cycle and claim management through targeted training and video tools from HealthStream.
View All ProductsLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ResuscitationIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
View All ProductsLearn more about HealthStream's provider credentialing, privileging, & enrollment solutions for healthcare organizations.
View All CredentialingExperience standardized and centralized healthcare provider credentialing, privileging, and enrollment that is smarter and faster than ever before.
View All ProductsAutomated, web-based provider credentialing and enrollment software for growing medical groups.
View All ProductsNCQA-certified CVO verification services for initial and re-credentialing files in an overflow or full-service capacity for healthcare organizations.
View All ProductsSearch, review, and add providers into the Epic provider master file with our Epic app integration, Provider Validate.
View All ProductsMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All SchedulingHealthcare scheduling software designed to optimize staffing requirements & elevate patient care
View All ProductsPrecisely align staffing and needed resources to enable efficient patient flow and high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s free nurse schedule app, NurseGrid™, is built to help you care for your staff and engage with their specific needs.
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