The Hospital Elder Life Program: a model of care to prevent cognitive and functional decline in older hospitalized patients

The Hospital Elder Life Program is an experimental new hospital care program involving 1507 patients over age 69 intended to prevent functional and cognitive decline of vulnerable older persons when they are hospitalized, and results suggest the program is successful. It is unique in that it is hospitalwide and that even volunteers play a critical role, carrying out the core interventions of therapeutic activities, the daily visitor orientation, early mobilization, oral feeding assistance, volume repletion, vision/hearing, and sleep enhancement protocols. It also targets practical interventions to evidence-based risk factors. More study is needed.