Grady Earns Age-Friendly Health System Certification

Grady has received the Age-Friendly Health System – Committed to Care certification, an initiative of 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 United States. The certification recognizes Grady as a leader in a rapidly growing movement committed to the care of older adults guided by an essential set of age-friendly, evidence-based practices, causes no harm, and is consistent with what matters to the older adult and their family.

“Grady has always been on the forefront of patient care, and that’s why we chose to participate in this vital effort,” said Dr. Ugochi Ohuabunwa, Grady’s Chief of Geriatrics. “Our Age-Friendly Health Systems certification is an important part of our commitment to provide every patient with the best care possible.”

The Age-Friendly initiative is based on a series of practices focused on addressing four essential elements of care for older patients:

• What Matters: Know and align care with each older adult’s specific health outcome goals and care preferences including, but not limited to, end-of-life care, and across settings of care.
• Medication: If medication is necessary, use Age-Friendly medication that does not interfere with What Matters to the older adult, Mobility, or Mentation across settings of care.
• Mentation: Prevent, identify, treat, and manage dementia, depression, and delirium across settings of care.​
• Mobility: Ensure that older adults move safely every day in order to maintain function and do What Matters.

The Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative was launched in 2017 by The John A. Hartford Foundation and IHI, in partnership with the American Hospital Association and Catholic Health Association of the US, with a commitment to make 20 percent of hospitals and health systems in the United States age-friendly by 2020. For more information, visit www.ihi.org/agefriendly.