Elder Life Program

Like many hospitals across the country, UCSF has seen a steady increase in older adults admitted to the hospital. To respond to this unique need, UCSF has implemented a training program for nurses interested in the management of older adults. Under the direction of the Geriatric Clinical Nurse Specialist and the Education and Research Department, UCSF has been a NICHE Hospital (Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders) for about 4 years. This program developed and supported by the John A. Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence and New York University Division of Nursing, supports the implementation of models of care to promote best practices for care of the older adult in the hospital. At UCSF we have implemented the Geriatric Resource Nurse Model (GRN). GRNs are bedside nurses who have received additional training in the multidisciplinary care of older adults, with a focus on geriatric syndromes that may exist independent of the patient’s acute medical or surgical illness. For example, the training program provides best practice protocols for the older hospitalized adult in management of delirium, falls, prevention of skin breakdown, eating and feeding problems, restraint reduction, and polypharmacy. GRNs are involved in performance improvement activities, are resources for their colleagues of all disciplines, and participate in professional activities such as developing evidence-based practice protocols. Classes to promote certification in Geriatrics are also provided. Approximately 110 RNs from the ICUs, acute care, the emergency department, PACU, outpatient clinics and home care have participated both in the training program and in quarterly ongoing classes to promote best practices in geriatric care.