Canadian First: Sunnybrook Achieves Second Level of Age-Friendly Health System Designation

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is proud to announce a first-in-Canada recognition, as we received not only the Level 1 Age-Friendly Health System Participant designation, but also the prestigious Level 2 Age-Friendly Health System Committed to Care Excellence designation from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). This milestone reaffirms our leadership in providing safe, high-quality and individualized care for older adults across all settings.

A Commitment to Excellence in Senior Care

Sunnybrook’s journey toward achieving Level 2 status builds on the foundation of its commitment to the IHI’s 4Ms Framework:

1. What Matters: Empowering patients by understanding their personal goals and preferences through enhanced training on person-centered care practices.
2. Medication: Strengthening senior-friendly prescribing with updated Order Set Guidelines, incorporating antipsychotic stewardship and medication safety best practices.
3. Mentation: Expanding delirium reduction efforts by leveraging data insights from GEMINI and engaging interprofessional teams in targeted improvement initiatives.
4. Mobility: Increasing patient mobility through robust audit-feedback mechanisms and quality improvement huddles focused on daily mobilization.

Sunnybrook’s achievement of Level 2 status demonstrates its ability to sustain these practices while introducing innovative strategies to improve outcomes for older adults.

Key Initiatives Driving Success

Sunnybrook’s recognition reflects the collective efforts of interdisciplinary teams working across the organization. Notable highlights include:

• Senior Friendly & Behaviour Support Specialists: Supporting clinical teams in advancing harm prevention strategies and embedding age-friendly practices into everyday care.
• Research and Quality Improvement (QI) Projects:
• Pharmacy Leadership: Residents have led impactful studies, such as reducing inappropriate antipsychotic and sedative prescribing.
• Delirium Management Enhancements: New interventions, such as communication tools and targeted rounds, have significantly improved the identification and treatment of delirium.
• Recreation Therapy Programs: Providing meaningful activities to enhance mobility, reduce delirium, and improve mental well-being.
• Patient and Family Portal: A comprehensive resource to empower patients and caregivers with tools to prevent physical and mental decline during hospital stays.

Building the Future of Age-Friendly Care

With the recognition of Level 2 designation, Sunnybrook is setting the standard for age-friendly health care in Canada. The achievement reflects the hospital’s unwavering commitment to continuously improving care for a rapidly growing senior population.

“We are honored to be the first Canadian hospital to achieve this milestone,” said Leanne Hughes, Manager, Senior Friendly & Best Practices at Sunnybrook, “and we are committed to leading the way in providing exceptional, age-friendly health care. This designation is not just a recognition of our efforts but also a call to continue innovating and collaborating to ensure older adults receive the care they deserve.”

Sunnybrook’s leadership in this space underscores the importance of prioritizing the needs and values of older adults, ensuring care is delivered reliably and equitably in every setting.

For more information about Sunnybrook’s age-friendly initiatives and their continued journey, visit the Senior Friendly Care portal.