The Future of Aging and Longevity - Flipbook - Page 18
A Decade of Progress
in Aging and a Vision
for the Next 10 Years
Rani E. Snyder
Terry Fulmer, PhD
President, The John A.
Har琀昀ord Founda琀椀on
President Emerita, The John A.
Har琀昀ord Founda琀椀on
e all deserve to age with health, dignity,
and support. Over the past decade,
our founda琀椀on has built heartening
progress. Health systems have grown more
age-friendly, family caregivers have gained vital
support, and serious illness care has improved.
But gaps remain. Our collec琀椀ve challenge is to
weave health care, public health, and community
life into a seamless ecosystem that li昀琀s us all as
we grow older.
W
A Decade of Progress in Improving
Care for Older Adults
Ten years ago, there was no infrastructure for
advancing the reliable delivery of evidence-based,
age-friendly care in hospitals, prac琀椀ces, nursing
homes, and other se琀�ngs. Today, par琀椀cipa琀椀on
in the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement
organized around evidence-based prac琀椀ces in the
14
4Ms Framework—what ma琀琀ers, medica琀椀on, mind,
and mobility—is becoming an expecta琀椀on. With
over 6,000 Age-Friendly Health Systems sites
and a new Age-Friendly Hospital quality measure
implemented by the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services in 2026, a drama琀椀c shi昀琀 is
occurring.
Soon a昀琀er our founda琀椀on launched the
Age-Friendly Health Systems movement with the
Ins琀椀tute for Healthcare Improvement and the
American Hospital Associa琀椀on in 2016, we began
the Age-Friendly Public Health Systems ini琀椀a琀椀ve,
recognizing that age-friendly care is broader
than health care alone. Similarly, our support of
USAging and the aging services network focuses
on delivering age-friendly care in home and
community-based services. The next 10 years
must con琀椀nue this shi昀琀 to systems working
together, not alone.
MIL K EN I N S T I T U T E | T H E FU T U RE O F AGI N G A N D LO N GEV I TY
