Age-friendly care in the Veterans Health Administration: Past, present, and future

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Healthcare Innovation
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has a long-standing commitment to age-friendly care.
• Anticipating the healthcare needs of aging World War II veterans, the VHA established Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Centers (GRECCs) in 1975.
• GRECCs have been instrumental in developing and advancing geriatric care models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the VHA's historical and ongoing contributions to age-friendly care.
• To demonstrate how VHA innovations align with and support the current Age-Friendly Health Systems movement.
• To position VHA programs as models for other healthcare systems.

Main Methods:

• Historical review of VHA initiatives in geriatric care.
• Analysis of the impact of GRECCs on care models and workforce development.
• Examination of VHA's alignment with the Age-Friendly Health Systems framework.

Main Results:

• GRECCs have spurred enduring innovations in geriatric care across the continuum.
• VHA's integrated role as provider and payor incentivizes care coordination and cost savings.
• VHA significantly contributes to the geriatric healthcare workforce.

Conclusions:

• VHA's long history and established programs provide a strong foundation for age-friendly care.
• VHA's innovative geriatric models serve as valuable exemplars for policymakers and external healthcare systems.
• Continued development of VHA programs is crucial for advancing age-friendly healthcare nationally.