Grace Cottage recognized as ‘age friendly’ for initiatives to improve care for older adults

TOWNSHEND

Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital has joined a nationwide initiative to improve health care specifically for older adults.

In its letter congratulating Grace Cottage for its “Age-Friendly” certification, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement calls Grace Cottage “a leader in this rapidly growing movement committed to care of older adults.”

Grace Cottage is among the first health systems in the country to implement the IHI guidelines for “age-friendly” health care. So far, just over 600 healthcare institutions in the entire country have been named “Age-Friendly Health Systems,” and Grace Cottage is one of only two in Vermont.

“Older adults are living and working longer, and our approach recognizes the unique needs of these important members of our community,” says Grace Cottage geriatrician Dr. Ron Vallario. “We are honored to be recognized.”

The IHI designation is based on a review of Grace Cottage’s clinical care in four main areas, what the IHI calls the 4Ms:

• What Matters,
• Medication,
• Mentation and
• Mobility.

Grace Cottage has proved that it provides patient-centered care, guided by what is most important to the individual patient (What Matters). It also aims to prevent, identify, treat, and manage dementia, depression, and delirium (Mentation), and to encourage older adults to move safely every day (Mobility). And, when medication (the 4th M) is necessary, Grace Cottage providers choose medicines and dosages with the least impact on the other 3Ms.

The “Age-Friendly” designation is part of an initiative organized by the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the U.S. The aim is to provide guidance and recognition for healthcare institutions seeking to provide the best “age-friendly” primary care for older adults.

Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital is located at 185 Grafton Road (Route 35) in Townshend. For more information, go to or call 802-365-7357.