THE VALUED VOICE

The population of the United States is not as young as it used to be. The year 2035 represents a major demographic turning point in the US. The legendary baby boomer generation will all be over the age of 65. Also, one-in-five Americans will be of retirement age, and for the first time in history, persons over the age of 65 will outnumber those under 18 years old.

Addressing the health care needs of a large and diverse older adult population will require new and innovative solutions. To prepare to meet these ensuing challenges, WHA invites members to join the Age Friendly Health System movement. This movement, dedicated to improving the care of older adults, was founded by The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in partnership with the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

Hospitals joining the joining the Age-Friendly Health Systems Action Community will receive the following benefits:

• Access to national experts, team networking and peer coaching webinars;
• Direct line of support with a WHA quality advisor;
• Free participation at no cost to you or your organization;
• Strategies to utilize existing hospital/health system resources;
• An advantage, placing your organization ahead of the curve in preparing for the impending market shift; and
• Recognition of achievement as either “Age-Friendly Health Systems Participant” or "Committed to Care Excellence”

The next Age-Friendly Action Community will run September 2021- April 2022. To learn more, contact WHA’s Clinical Quality Improvement Advisor Jill Lindwall or see the full AHA program here.