Age-Friendly Innovations

Advanced Care Planning via Group Visits Program

Created by Eugene J. Towbin Healthcare Center (North Little Rock)

ACP-GV engages Veterans, caregivers and those they trust in advance care planning by facilitating a group discussion that elicits personal experience(s) and encourages participants to identify a 'next step' to take in the process of planning for future health care needs.

Age-Friendly Health Systems

Created by Institute for Healthcare Improvement

Age-Friendly Health Systems provide care to older Veterans based on What Matters. The 4Ms (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility) are a framework to provide Veteran-centric care focused on What Matters across all care settings. Age-Friendly Health Systems is a high-reliability approach to continuously improve care and achieve zero harm.

Building Spiritual Strength (BSS)

Created by Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans' Hospital (Bedford), Lewiston VA Clinic (Lewiston, Maine), Minneapolis VA Medical Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Veterans managing moral injury/spiritual distress are at high risk for suicide, have a longer and more severe course of PTSD and depression, and use more mental health services than their peers. BSS groups are an ethically appropriate, spiritually integrated model for resolving moral injury/spiritual distress.

Caring for Older Adults and Caregivers at Home (COACH)

Created by Durham VA Medical Center

A home based dementia care program that serves Veterans living with dementia and their caregivers residing within 50-mile radius from the medical centers or rural clinics. The goals are to improve Veterans and caregivers quality of life, reduce safety hazards, reduce caregiver burden, and delay nursing home placements.

Compassionate Contact Corps (CCC)

Created by Chalmers P. Wylie Veterans Outpatient Clinic (Columbus, Ohio), Fargo VA Medical Center, Marion VA Medical Center (Marion, Illinois), Minneapolis VA Medical Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota), St. Louis VA Medical Center-Jefferson Barracks (St. Louis Jefferson Barracks), Syracuse VA Medical Center, Tucson VA Medical Center, White City VA Medical Center

A social prescription program that offers friendly phone and video visits between trained volunteers and Veterans. The volunteer calls their matched Veteran once per week to provide compassionate conversation and companionship. 

Gerofit

Created by Durham VA Medical Center

An established, evidence-based exercise and health promotion clinic that targets older Veterans at risk for institutionalization by physical limitations that are modifiable with exercise intervention. Program participants achieve significant improvements in functional measures, reduction in cardiovascular risk factors, improved well-being, and satisfaction with care.

Measurement-Based Care in Mental Health: Text/Email Direct to Veterans

Created by Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Using BHL Touch for texting/emailing of mental health self-assessments is a simple and efficient way to increase the utilization of Measurement-Based Care, which is a best practice and leads to better patient outcomes.

Mini-Cog Screening Tool: Early Identification of Patients with Cognitive Impairment

Created by The Villages VA Clinic

Nursing cognitive screening identifies patients whose cognitive deficits have gone unnoticed or unrecorded in routine clinical encounters. This results in appropriate referrals to provide early diagnosis, differential, and treatment.

SCOUTS (Supporting Community Outpatient, Urgent care & Telehealth Services)

Created by Office of Primary Care

A post emergency department (ED) complementary service utilizing Intermediate Care Technicians (ICTs) to support care transitions by ensuring unmet care needs, geriatric syndromes, 4Ms of Age-Friendly Health System, and digital divide concerns are addressed in an acute time frame.

STRIDE

Created by Durham VA Medical Center

A supervised walking program for older Veterans admitted to the hospital with medical illness. STRIDE features an early assessment, supervised ambulation, and patient education about the importance of daily walking, all designed to ensure patient safety during program participation.

The Surgical Pause

Created by Omaha VA Medical Center (Omaha, Nebraska)

Utilizes the simple yet sophisticated Risk Analysis Index (RAI) to screen Veterans for frailty in 30 seconds, effectively flagging high risk Veterans so that the surgical team can ensure that the proposed treatment plans both mitigate known risks and align with the Veterans’ overarching life goals.

The White Noise Project

Created by Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Asheville)

Simple, effective, and safe white noise machines are being distributed to hospitals around the country as an adjunct to sleep and providing privacy and comfort to veterans in the hospital setting.

Transforming Health and Resiliency through Integration of Values-based Experiences (THRIVE)

Created by James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital (Tampa, Florida)

Enhances well-being for both Veterans and staff alike by engaging people in a transformational experience. In short, the program empowers individuals to improve their quality of life through exploration of their values and strengths, a positive psychology concept.

Transitions Nurse Program for Home Health Care

Created by Aurora VA Clinic (Aurora, Colorado)

This Transitions Nurse Program for Home Health Care (TNP-HHC) toolkit will provide guidance on developing an implementation plan, that maintains fidelity to the Transitions Nurse Program (TNP) evidence-based intervention while adapting to site-specific needs and goals.

VA Geriatric Emergency Department Program (previously GERI-VET)

Created by Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Cleveland, Ohio)

National VA Geriatric Emergency Department Mission is Enhancing geriatric-focused care in VA emergency departments throughout the nation via education, standardization, environmental enhancement, and promotion of a comprehensive care model.

VA Resource Navigator

Created by Veterans Experience Office

The VA Resource Navigator is a new tool designed by the Veterans Experience Office (VEO) and the Patient Centered Learning (PCL) National Program to help Veterans better find and use VA resources. The Navigator can help Veterans make informed decisions about their care and find the resources they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

Veteran Outreach Into the Community to Expand Social Support: Veterans Socials

Created by Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans' Hospital (Bedford)

A low-cost community-based peer intervention designed to connect Veterans to one another and the community. These weekly (~90-minute) gatherings promote access to information, community services, and VA health care through interactions with knowledgeable Veterans who host these events.

VIONE - Medication Optimization and Polypharmacy Reduction Initiative

Created by Eugene J. Towbin Healthcare Center (North Little Rock)

A clinician and patient-friendly methodology - VIONE (Vital, Important, Optional, Not needed, Every medication has an indication) used by physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and pharmacists to address polypharmacy risk.

Virtual Reality for CLC Residents and the Cognitively Impaired

Created by Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Asheville)

VR use in CLC populations, including use with patients with mild to moderate cognitive impairment, has been shown to decrease pain intensity, anxiety, boredom, and concerning behaviors (e.g. restlessness, agitation, etc.) while improving Veteran experience and engagement with complimentary or alternative modalities.

The Tailored Activity Program-VA (TAP-VA)

TAP-VA decreases dementia-related behavioral symptoms and caregiver burden by engaging the Veteran in activities that are individualized to their interests and abilities. 

EMPOWER (Eliminating Medications through Patient OWnership of End Results)

EMPOWER is a direct-to-consumer communication tool intended to empower older adults to decrease or stop use of high-risk medications after consulting with their healthcare team.