Towards age-friendly hospitals and health services

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Healthcare Management
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Rapidly aging global population necessitates optimized health and social support.
• Current healthcare systems often present challenges and risks for older adults.
• Older individuals are significant users of healthcare services, highlighting the need for tailored approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the rationale for age-friendly healthcare services.
• To propose and detail Taiwan's Framework of Age-Friendly Hospitals.
• To provide systematic guidance for healthcare organizations to better serve older populations.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on the rationale for age-friendly hospitals.
• Development of a comprehensive framework based on a life-course and population approach.
• Inclusion of evaluation and quality improvement as core components of the initiative.

Main Results:

• A detailed framework for establishing age-friendly hospitals in Taiwan has been developed.
• The framework addresses key areas: hospital management policy, communication, services, physical environments, and care processes.
• It emphasizes a holistic approach, integrating health promotion and risk mitigation.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework offers a systematic approach for healthcare organizations to become age-friendly.
• Implementation can lead to improved well-being and function for older adults utilizing health services.
• The framework facilitates monitoring and evaluation of age-friendly practices and their impact.