Nurses Improving Care for Health system Elders (NICHE) imparts principles and tools to stimulate changes in clinical practice to achieve patient-centered nursing care for older adults in health care facilities. The vision of NICHE is that all older adults, age 65 and over, receive age-friendly, exemplary nursing care.
During 2020, 805 older adults were served by Aurora Medical Center in Kenosha NICHE-certified Senior Resource Nurses to ensure they received care that promotes function, autonomy, and dignity. 13 clients received home visit referrals, 8 received clinic referrals, 13 completed cognitive screens, and 13 received Aurora at Home referrals.
In addition to the care the Senior Resource Nurses provided:
132 community members were educated on Advance Directives with 58 completing an Advance Directive.
378 people also received family guidance and support services and 70 received medication management and safety education.
100% of our Emergency Department patients aged 65 years and older were identified for screening with the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) tool. 57% of those screened were identified as “at-risk” and were referred for support services. 
68 group exercise classes were provided at the Kenosha Senior Center with an average attendance of 13 individuals per class; 14 new participants attended. Classes prior to the pandemic were in-person, however, after a long pause due to COVID-19, classes went virtual in August.
The Senior Resource Nurses remained connected with clients throughout the pandemic to educate them on COVID-19 and to ensure they could access their providers and other wellness resources virtually or by telephone while remaining safe in their homes.