A Model for Caregiver Health and Wellness in Age-Friendly Health Systems, Planning Grant

Grant Summary

This planning project will test the implementation of a Caregiver Initiative developed by Rush University Medical Center that systematically engages family caregivers in the care of older adults by addressing the 4Ms of age-friendly care (What Matters, Medication, Mentation and Mobility) with both caregivers and their care recipients. More than 41 million caregivers provide care to older people in this country – including complex medical care – for which they receive little to no training, causing undue emotional and physical strain. Caregiver interventions can alleviate this burden, but few programs are established within health systems. In partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the Rush 4M-Caregiver Initiative will be piloted in five diverse sites leading to a dissemination plan to spread the model across the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement.