A patient-centered model of acute care for elders

The patient centered "Acute Care of the Elderly Unit" is a multifaceted process of care that combines optimal geriatric nursing and medical care of elders within an interdisciplinary model. Although functional decline has been previously assumed to be an inevitable consequence of hospitalization, preliminary findings suggest that a patient centered multidisciplinary model of geriatric care prevents functional decline of hospitalized elders. In addition, the "low tech" interventions and cost savings outcomes suggests the feasibility of implementing this model of care in hospitals serving a variety of patient populations.