Frailty-focused Enhancements to Seniors Hospital Care (FrESH Care)

Older adults with frailty often get worse when they get admitted to hospital. This has been shown to be associated with many factors including not getting enough physical activity, side effects of medications, failure to identify cognitive problems or confusion, and not focusing on what matters most to the patient. We aim to help frail seniors have better hospital outcomes by providing specialized training to the healthcare professionals looking after seniors on acute care hospital units.

A large proportion of patients on acute care hospital units are frail. Making sure they are receiving the best possible care, based on the latest research, will make sure they have the best possible outcomes. The research tells us this kind of care can shorten hospital stays, improve independence after discharge, keep people from needing re-admission, and prevent the need to move into nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. This is good for the patients and for the system.

We are offering a change in the style and philosophy of care for frail seniors in hospital, one which focuses on their unique and complex combination of needs relating to mobility, medications, mental status, medical complexity and what matters most.

• We anticipate improving the health, independence and quality of life of seniors.
• We anticipate reducing the use of medications that are potentially inappropriate for seniors.
• We anticipate that hospital stays may be shorter and more likely to result in a discharge back home.
• We anticipate that our project will be able to be shared and implemented in hospitals around the province.