Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital becoming âAge Friendly Health Systemâ
Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital becoming âAge Friendly Health Systemâ By Andrew Webb | December 20, 2020 at 9:40 PM EST - Updated December 21 at 12:04 PM
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Although you may not be able to see many physical changes around Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, a new approach to treating the elderly, is coming to the hospital. The hospital is in the process of transitioning to being an âAge Friendly Health System.â
âWe always put patient care at the forefront and this initiative was really going to help us ensure that the care for the elderly, is the best that it could be,â Senior Service Program Coordinator Jessica Cooper said. âItâs an evidence base set of interventions that focus around the four âMâs,â and that includes what matters to the patient: medication, mentation, and mobility.â
ERIN E. EMERY-TIBURCIO, PHD, ABPP;
ROBYN GOLDEN, LCSW
Posted12/18/2020 10:28 AM
As the holidays approach and cases of COVID-19 spike across the nation, people are feeling a collective sense of fatigue, uncertainty, and, for many, profound loneliness.
Although the holidays can be an emotionally charged time for many people, this year is amplified.
Increasingly, families and friends have decided not to come together in order to slow the spread of the virus. Sadly, our loved ones 65 and older are disproportionally impacted by both the virus and social isolation.
Older adults are more vulnerable to experiencing social isolation and loneliness, which can directly impact their physical and mental health. Social isolation refers to being physically and emotionally removed from relationships and contact with family, friends and community. Social isolation is an objective reality whereas loneliness is a subjective experience.