Creating Age-Friendly Health Systems in Victoria
Our goal
To improve outcomes and experiences for older people
Older people are more likely to be admitted to hospital or an aged care facility and are more likely to suffer harm such as falls, physical deterioration, medication errors, infections and confusion. Older people and their carers often report that the way they are treated is inconsistent with what matters to them.
By using the ‘4Ms’ framework (what matters, medication, mind and mobility), health and care practitioners can better address the key factors that shape an older person’s experience and outcomes in the health system.
Between 2022 and 2023 we worked with 30 teams from 18 health and residential aged care services across Victoria to deliver the Age-Friendly 4Ms Framework in their settings.
Completed
Completed
Resources to become an Age-Friendly Health System
Age-Friendly Guide to using the 4Ms
The Age-Friendly Guide to using the 4Ms is a fully-interactive PDF document that provides the 'recipe' for health and residential aged care services to implement the Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms framework in their care settings. For resources to apply for global Age-Friendly recognition, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Case studies from the Age-Friendly Collaborative
These case studies are designed as an addendum to the ‘Age-Friendly Guide to using the 4Ms,’ and include stories from teams across Victoria and the care continuum who were part of the Age-Friendly Collaborative.
Age-Friendly 4Ms: 4 Ms as a set (Learning module)
Becoming an Age-Friendly Health System is about reliably assessing and acting on each M for every older person in your care. The following interactive eLearning modules describe the key actions that should be taken for each of the 4Ms, and how you can partner with consumers in an Age-Friendly Health System.
Age-Friendly 4Ms: What Matters (Learning module)
Understand when we should ask and act on What Matters, how to ask and act on What Matters, and understand the role of What Matters in end-of-life care.
Age-Friendly 4Ms: Mind (Learning module)
The Mind 'M' is about identifying cognitive impairment (both dementia and delirium) on admission, and regular screening for delirium. The actions to protect patients with CI or to prevent or manage delirium are the same and must be enacted.
Age-Friendly 4Ms: Medication (Learning module)
Understand the role of medication and polypharmacy on quality of life and health outcomes in older people.
Age-Friendly 4Ms: Mobility (Learning module)
Identify past and future attitudes towards safety and mobility, what counts as mobility, and practical strategies to encourage it.
Introduction to partnering and co-design for Age-Friendly Care (Learning module)
Effective partnering in quality improvement is critical for effective, ethical and inclusive quality improvement projects and Age-Friendly care. This short course is a snapshot of key principles and concepts to help you establish partnering in your improvement work.
Hospital leaflet (Consumer-facing Age-Friendly Resource)
This consumer co-designed leaflet can be shared in your settings to show your patients and residents that you practice 4Ms care. For resources in Arabic, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese and Simplified Chinese, please click the ‘Email project team’ button below.
Hospital poster (Consumer-facing Age-Friendly Resource)
This consumer co-designed leaflet can be shared in your settings to show your patients and residents that you practice 4Ms care. For resources in Arabic, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese and Simplified Chinese, please click the ‘Email project team’ button below.
RACF leaflet (Consumer-facing Age-Friendly Resources)
This consumer co-designed leaflet can be shared in your settings to show your patients and residents that you practice 4Ms care. For resources in Arabic, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese and Simplified Chinese, please click the ‘Email project team’ button below.
RACF poster (Consumer-facing Age-Friendly Resources)
This consumer co-designed poster can be shared in your settings to show your patients and residents that you practice 4Ms care. For resources in Arabic, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese and Simplified Chinese, please click the ‘Email project team’ button below.
Featured resource
Age-Friendly Health Systems Breakthrough Series Collaborative evaluation report
Read our report on the 2022-2023 Age-Friendly Collaborative, where we brought together 30 teams from 18 health and residential aged care services across Victoria to work towards Age-Friendly care.
Age-Friendly Guide to using the 4Ms
The Age-Friendly Guide to using the 4Ms is a fully-interactive PDF document that provides the 'recipe' for health and residential aged care services to implement the Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms framework in their care settings. For resources to apply for global Age-Friendly recognition, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Case studies from the Age-Friendly Collaborative
These case studies are designed as an addendum to the ‘Age-Friendly Guide to using the 4Ms,’ and include stories from teams across Victoria and the care continuum who were part of the Age-Friendly Collaborative.
Age-Friendly 4Ms: 4 Ms as a set (Learning module)
Becoming an Age-Friendly Health System is about reliably assessing and acting on each M for every older person in your care. The following interactive eLearning modules describe the key actions that should be taken for each of the 4Ms, and how you can partner with consumers in an Age-Friendly Health System.
Age-Friendly 4Ms: What Matters (Learning module)
Understand when we should ask and act on What Matters, how to ask and act on What Matters, and understand the role of What Matters in end-of-life care.
Age-Friendly 4Ms: Mind (Learning module)
The Mind 'M' is about identifying cognitive impairment (both dementia and delirium) on admission, and regular screening for delirium. The actions to protect patients with CI or to prevent or manage delirium are the same and must be enacted.
Age-Friendly 4Ms: Medication (Learning module)
Understand the role of medication and polypharmacy on quality of life and health outcomes in older people.
Age-Friendly 4Ms: Mobility (Learning module)
Identify past and future attitudes towards safety and mobility, what counts as mobility, and practical strategies to encourage it.
Introduction to partnering and co-design for Age-Friendly Care (Learning module)
Effective partnering in quality improvement is critical for effective, ethical and inclusive quality improvement projects and Age-Friendly care. This short course is a snapshot of key principles and concepts to help you establish partnering in your improvement work.
Hospital leaflet (Consumer-facing Age-Friendly Resource)
This consumer co-designed leaflet can be shared in your settings to show your patients and residents that you practice 4Ms care. For resources in Arabic, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese and Simplified Chinese, please click the ‘Email project team’ button below.
Hospital poster (Consumer-facing Age-Friendly Resource)
This consumer co-designed leaflet can be shared in your settings to show your patients and residents that you practice 4Ms care. For resources in Arabic, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese and Simplified Chinese, please click the ‘Email project team’ button below.
RACF leaflet (Consumer-facing Age-Friendly Resources)
This consumer co-designed leaflet can be shared in your settings to show your patients and residents that you practice 4Ms care. For resources in Arabic, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese and Simplified Chinese, please click the ‘Email project team’ button below.
RACF poster (Consumer-facing Age-Friendly Resources)
This consumer co-designed poster can be shared in your settings to show your patients and residents that you practice 4Ms care. For resources in Arabic, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese and Simplified Chinese, please click the ‘Email project team’ button below.
Our stories
Clinicians profile
Speaking volumes: Asking older people ‘what matters’ is changing the dialogue
"Asking a simple question opened the door for a whole range of things." Hear from Central Highlands Rural Health on how the 4Ms changed the care of older people.
Do you have a question about this project? Get in touch with the project team.
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Related projects
Apply for Global Age-Friendly recognition
Age-Friendly is a global movement that started in the USA and is now being practiced across the globe. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), provides recognition to care settings that are working toward reliable practice of the 4Ms. As of June 2024, more than 4,000 health care organisations have submitted Care Description Worksheets and earned one of two levels of recognition;
- Level 1 (Participant) teams have successfully developed plans to implement the 4Ms.
- Level 2 (Committed to Care Excellence) teams have three months of data of older adults who received 4Ms care.
Safer Care Victoria has worked closely with the IHI to develop Care Description Worksheets localised to Victoria. These forms can be used by any public or private hospital or residential aged care service in Victoria to apply for Age-Friendly recognition from the IHI, at no cost.
When your organisation is recognised, you will receive a toolkit for celebrating your efforts within your organisation and community. IHI will list the name of your care location on the Age-Friendly Health Systems Recognition web page. IHI and The John A. Hartford Foundation may also celebrate recognised care locations in press releases, on social media, and in other settings.