A recent article by Jane Carmody of The John A. Hartford Foundation highlights the growing importance of age-friendly care across the healthcare system and broader community. The piece explains how the 4Ms Framework, What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility, can guide the redesign of care to better meet the needs of a rapidly aging population.
Carmody also emphasizes the critical role of emergency departments, where age-friendly approaches can significantly improve outcomes for older adults. Organizations like the Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative and the Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation are helping to advance and expand the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement in emergency care settings. The leadership of The John A. Hartford Foundation and Jane Carmody continue to be instrumental in advancing this global movement toward more person-centered care for older adults.
In addition to the broader special issues, another recently published article Age‑Friendly Care for All: Making a Global Difference One Older Adult at a Time by Donna M. Fick and Terry T. Fulmer highlights the global importance of age‑friendly care. The article emphasizes how the 4Ms Framework can be applied across settings to improve outcomes for older adults and reinforces the momentum behind this national and international effort.
Building on this momentum, The John A. Hartford Foundation recently announced $11.4 million in new grants to accelerate innovation and expand age-friendly practices across care settings.
At the same time, health systems across the country are putting these principles into practice. Recent examples shared by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), demonstrate what it looks like to integrate the 4Ms into everyday workflows. These real-world examples show how teams are improving care for older adults in meaningful ways, with some familiar organizations and leaders helping drive this progress.
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