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Sleep medicine for older adults: Applying the age-friendly health systems framework to sleep medicine clinics
Julia T Boyle1, Jennifer Moye2, Rina Eisenstein3
1Office of Research and Development, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; New England Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract:
While poor sleep is not guaranteed in older adulthood, older adults are at greater risk for sleep concerns, in part, due to increasing multimorbidity, leading to new or worsening health conditions. Healthcare providers have the opportunity to address these modifiable and treatable concerns to help older adults maintain health, independence, and quality of life. Sleep medicine clinics are uniquely positioned to treat older adults using tools from the Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) framework. This framework organizes patient-centered care of older adults around 4Ms: What Matters Most, Mobility, Mentation, and Medication, thus aligning a patient's health goals and values with complex medical, social, and functional needs. There is strong evidence supporting a relationship between each M and sleep concerns. This paper briefly reviews literature outlining these relationships and provides an overview of and specific guidance and practice tools for incorporating the 4Ms into the assessment and treatment of older adults within a sleep medicine clinic to promote Age-Friendly care.
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