The Yale Geriatric Care Program: a model of care to prevent functional decline in hospitalized elderly patients

Abstract

Objective: To describe the structure and implementation of the Yale Geriatric Care Program, an innovative, nursing-centered model for developing geriatric nursing expertise throughout an acute-care hospital.

Design: Descriptive study of an intervention in a prospective cohort of patients.

Setting: University teaching hospital.

Patients: Two hundred forty four patients aged 70 years and older on four non-intensive care intervention units during the study period (July 9, 1990 to July 31, 1991).

Intervention: The Geriatric Care Program involved an integrated model of primary nurses, specially trained unit-based geriatric resource nurses, gerontological nurse specialists, and geriatric physicians. The intervention included surveillance and identification of frail older patients, unit-based geriatric educational programs for all nurses, special education and support for the geriatric resource nurses, and twice-weekly rounds of the Geriatric Care Team.

Results: The Geriatric Care Program has been successfully implemented on four units. The interventions ranged from general clarification of goals in 226 (92%) to specific recommendations for management of immobility in 100 (41%), bladder/bowel problems in 99 (41%), pressure ulcer treatment or prevention in 61 (25%), confusion evaluation or management in 62 (25%), and adjustment of medications in 43 (18%). Overall, 68% of the specific recommendations were documented to have been implemented. Barriers to implementation of the program have included initial difficulties with recruitment and retainment of geriatric resource nurses (due to high nursing turnover and the increased time commitment required), breakdown in communication and carryover of recommendations between nursing shifts, and obstacles to communication between the nursing and medical staff.

Conclusions: An innovative model of care, in which geriatric nursing was integrated as part of standard nursing care on selected medical and surgical units, has been designed and implemented. Evaluation of the effectiveness and costs of this intervention are currently underway.