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ECH  >  Departments & Programs  >  Age-Friendly Care

Age-Friendly Care

Elizabethtown Community Hospital Offers Age-Friendly Care

The University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital has joined the Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) initiative, a nationwide movement to ensure that every day, every older adult receives age-friendly health care.

The AFHS approach promotes an environment in which older adults are respected, care is personalized to meet their unique needs, and better outcomes can be achieved.

Our care team offers:

  • 24/7 coverage of board-certified emergency trained physicians
  • Specially designed patient rooms with softer lighting and visual aids
  • Body-warming devices/warm blankets
  • Non-slip equipment and floors for patient safety
  • Thicker, more comfortable mattresses

As part of the AFHS initiative, Elizabethtown Community Hospital implements evidence-based interventions to provide better and safer care for older adults.

  • What Matters: Know and align care with each older adult's specific health outcome goals and care preferences including, but not limited to, end-of-life care, and across settings of care.
  • Medication: If medication is necessary, use Age-Friendly medication that do not interfere with What Matters to the older adult, Mobility, or Mentation across settings of care.
  • Mentation: Prevent, identify, treat, and manage dementia, depression, and delirium across settings of care.
  • Mobility: Ensure that older adults move safely every day in order to maintain function and do What Matters.

For more information on the age-friendly movement, please visit www.ihi.org/agefriendly