Age-friendly CMS measure implementation: Leveraging geriatric quality programs in an age-friendly health system.

Area of Science:

• Geriatric care
• Healthcare quality improvement
• Health policy

Background:

• The age-friendly approach focuses on optimizing well-being for older adults, especially during illness and end-of-life care.
• Geriatric clinical quality organizations, such as Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE), develop age-friendly standards and offer educational resources.
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is implementing a mandatory Age-Friendly Measure for healthcare organizations starting in 2025.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the alignment of the new Age-Friendly Measure with existing quality programs.
• To highlight resources available for healthcare organizations to implement age-friendly care.
• To present a case example of a health system successfully utilizing these programs.

Main Methods:

• Review of the Age-Friendly Measure and its integration with quality initiatives.
• Description of resources and educational support provided by geriatric quality organizations.
• Presentation of a health system's case study on leveraging age-friendly programs.

Main Results:

• The Age-Friendly Measure aligns with current quality programs, promoting comprehensive geriatric care.
• Numerous resources and educational tools are available to support healthcare organizations in adopting age-friendly practices.
• A case example demonstrates successful implementation and benefits of leveraging age-friendly programs within a health system.

Conclusions:

• The mandatory Age-Friendly Measure incentivizes the adoption of age-friendly care standards.
• Geriatric quality organizations play a crucial role in supporting healthcare systems to meet these new requirements.
• Implementing age-friendly care optimizes health outcomes and well-being for the aging population.