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Mar 10, 2020

Age-friendly health systems are systems where people are thinking about you and what your care needs are. In this week's episode, Melissa Batchelor talks about age-friendly health systems with her special guest, Dr. Terry Fulmer, the President of the John A. Hartford Foundation, that funds the HAPF.

Part One of ‘Age-Friendly Health Systems Interview with Dr. Terry Fulmer’

In case you're wondering how this idea originated, according to Dr. Terry, they are scaling in a way that they couldn't have imagined. They're now in fifty states after only two years. It's because people understand that they want age-friendly care. They want the kind of care that's responsive to their needs and that speaks to them.

“We have created an incredible wealth of content for anybody who wants to get on the journey with age-friendly health systems.” — Melissa Batchelor (05:35-05:44)

Terry sees care where the handoffs are not. She sees what they could be and describes all of their work as evidence-based. They are focused on disease-specific conversations. This is not necessarily the best way to think about older people who have three to five chronic diseases and are managing multiple complex medications.

Part Two of ‘Age-Friendly Health Systems Interview with Dr. Terry Fulmer’

When Dr. Terry became President and CEO of the Johnny Hartford foundation, she was asked what her significant contribution would be. She wanted to create age-friendly health systems. Since 2015, it's something she has been unpacking and organizing a conversation with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

“You can't be an age-friendly community unless you have an age-friendly health system within you, your catchment area.” —  Melissa Batchelor (10:53-11:00)

In partnership with the Institute for Healthcare improvement, Terry says they have created an incredible wealth of content for anybody who wants to try age-friendly health systems. If you go onto their website, you will find a set of guidelines that will tell you how to use the forums to practice. Also, how to get an investment calculator that helps you be more cost-effective. You'll have a care guide that talks about each of the forums individually. As well as several additional resources. You can't be an age-friendly community unless you have an age-friendly health system within your catchment area.

How to Get Involved

Melissa B earned her Master of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) School of Nursing (SON) in 2000. She enjoyed working with the complex medical needs of older adults more than any other population. After graduation, she started working with a geriatric practice in Wilmington, North Carolina. She worked full-time for five years as FNP in geriatric primary care across many long-term care settings (skilled nursing homes, assisted living, home, and office visits). She transitioned into academic nursing in 2005, joining the faculty at UNCW SON as a lecturer. She has maintained her clinical practice and board certification, while her primary roles have been as a Nurse Scientist and Nurse Educator. Find out more about her work at https://melissabphd.com/.