Building a more connected approach to age-friendly care

This work marks the next phase in Sinai Health’s longstanding commitment to advancing care for older adults. It builds on the strong foundation of age-friendly care already in place across the organization, while creating greater alignment in how teams support patients.  

For Dr. Nathan Stall, Geriatrics Site Lead and Clinician Scientist at Sinai Health, the strategy reinforces a shared commitment to delivering evidence-informed care that reflects the needs and priorities of older adults, their families and care partners.  

"Embedding these principles into everyday practice will help us provide more comprehensive, age-friendly care," said  Dr. Stall. "Ultimately, it means older adults and their family caregivers can expect care that is more personalized and responsive to their needs - whether they are receiving care in hospital, through an outpatient clinic or in the community."

Guided by the 4Ms

Central to this work is the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)’s internationally recognized 4Ms Framework. Built around four interconnected elements - What Matters, Medication, Mentation and Mobility - it helps guide age-friendly care for older adults.

The model also recognizes that these elements are interconnected, helping care teams take a more coordinated approach to supporting health and well-being.  

• What Matters encourages conversations about each person’s goals, values and preferences so care decisions reflect what is most important to them. 
• Medication focuses on ensuring medicines support health goals while minimizing unnecessary risks. 
• Mentation promotes cognitive health by helping prevent, identify and manage conditions such as delirium, dementia and depression.
• Mobility encourages safe movement to help people maintain strength, independence and function throughout their care journey.

Building awareness of the 4Ms is an important part of advancing age-friendly care, said Leanne Ginty, Senior Director, Nursing Education and Academic Affairs, Learning Management and Innovation at Sinai Health.

“Many people aren’t familiar with the 4Ms or how they can shape the care experience for older adults,” said Ginty. “Even small actions - whether it’s talking about what matters most to someone, supporting safe mobility, promoting restorative sleep, or reviewing medications - can make a difference. Helping more people understand these principles can strengthen care for older adults across our communities.”

From acute care and rehabilitation to ambulatory and community-based services, teams throughout Sinai Health are helping deliver coordinated, age-friendly care across every stage and setting of the health-care system.

Creating a common understanding among care teams strengthens collaboration, supports education and helps evidence-informed practices become part of everyday care.

The road ahead

As Sinai Health continues to advance its Age Friendly Strategy, the focus will remain on embedding the 4Ms into everyday practice. Patients, families and care teams will also begin to see more age-friendly principles integrated across the organization.

This work includes initiatives that support safer mobility, help prevent delirium and advance other evidence-informed improvements , bringing the principles of the strategy to life in meaningful and measurable ways.

The strategy reflects Sinai Health’s broader strategic priorities and supports the organization’s commitment to delivering more connected, integrated and person-centred care.