The OASIS program: redesigning hospital care for older adults.

A major factor in poor outcomes for hospitalized older adults is the health care delivery system. If acute care is not designed to address their altered response to illness and treatments, functional needs, and psychosocial issues, they are at significant risk for hospital-acquired complications and loss of functionality. Each health system should develop its own acute geriatric care program based on its resources and a plan for geriatric competency for all its health care workers. The OASIS pilot was created by taking elements from programs around the country that have succeeded in reengineering care for older adults. This pilot addressed the acute care of older patients scattered across 2 medical units in a 500+ bed community hospital. Outcomes demonstrated that coordinated, geriatric specific care had a positive, measurable impact on the quality of care, costs, and provided geriatric support to physicians and hospital staff.