AGE-FRIENDLY PALLIATIVE CARE FOR VETERANS AND CAREGIVERS IN A RURAL VA HEALTHCARE SYSTEM - THE EASTERN CO EXPERIENCE

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by jayni

Age Friendly Health Systems align geriatric best practices with older adults’ goals of care through the Geriatric 4Ms: Mentation, Mobility, Medication, and What Matters Most. The VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System implemented an AFHS Level 2 recognized rural tele-Palliative Care clinic in December 2021 and engaged older Veterans in planning. In FY23-24, 192 tele-Palliative Care visits served 108 unique patients, with 81% from rural/highly rural areas, and addressed all 4Ms for most patients.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 933 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.3154 AGE-FRIENDLY PALLIATIVE CARE FOR VETERANS AND CAREGIVERS IN A RURAL VA HEALTHCARE SYSTEM--THE EASTERN CO EXPERIENCE Stephanie Hartz1, Alexander Garbin2, Courtney McGuire3, Jill Steagall4, Jocelyn McCauliff5, and Kathryn Nearing6, 1. VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Aurora, Colorado, United States, 2. Eastern Colorado VA Health Care System, Aurora, Colorado, United States, 3. Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Aurora, Colorado, United States, 4. Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado, United States, 5. Veterans Affairs, Aurora, Colorado, United States, 6. University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, Colorado, United States Introduction: Age Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) provide care to older adults aligned with geriatric best practices to improve healthcare quality, minimize harms and support older adults’ goals of care. AFHS designation means that providers consistently address the Geriatric 4Ms during clinical visits: Mentation, Mobility, Medication and What Matters Most. Methods: Within the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS), our rural tele-Palliative Care clinic achieved AFHS Level 2 Committed to Care Excellence recognition in December 2021, becoming the first AFHS-designated telemedicine clinic in the nation. We engaged older Veterans in planning and implementation. Using our existing interprofessional team and clinic workflow, we addressed the Geriatric 4Ms during visits. Results: FY23-24, we conducted 192 AFHS tele-Palliative Care visits, 81% with rural/highly rural Veterans. We served 108 unique patients (FY23: 57; FY24: 51) . Compared to Colorado’s Veteran population, racially minoritized Veterans and women were underrepresented, while older Veterans were overrepresented. The majority were White (82% and 73%), not Hispanic/Latino (83% and 73%), male (100% and 98%), and ≥65 (90% and 89%) . All 4Ms were addressed for 86%(FY23) and 76%(FY24) of unique patients. AFHS tele-Palliative Care saved Veterans/ caregivers 23,622 (FY23) and 18,632 (FY24) miles of travel. Conclusion: Congruent with AFHS, Palliative Care focuses on 934 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 physical, emotional, and psychosocial aspects of serious illness. Our work to achieve AFHS Level 2 designation in a tele-Palliative Care clinic is novel nationally. We demonstrated that evidence-based care can be provided to every older adult, regardless of care modality, without expanding staff or changing clinical workflows.

FAQs

What are the Geriatric 4Ms used in age-friendly care?

The Geriatric 4Ms are Mentation, Mobility, Medication, and What Matters Most. Providers address these consistently during clinical visits.

How was the rural tele-Palliative Care clinic implemented in the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System?

The clinic achieved AFHS Level 2 Committed to Care Excellence recognition in December 2021. The team used existing interprofessional staffing and clinic workflow, and engaged older Veterans in planning and implementation.

What outcomes were reported for FY23-24 tele-Palliative Care visits?

A total of 192 AFHS tele-Palliative Care visits were conducted, with 81% involving rural/highly rural Veterans. The program also reported AFHS tele-Palliative Care saving Veterans and caregivers 23,622 miles of travel in FY23 and 18,632 miles in FY24.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by jayni