New Senior Adult Unit Opens Its Doors

On Monday, March 28, Saint Mary’s Health Care opened its doors for patients on the Senior Adult Unit. This new unit represents the first of its kind throughout Grand Rapids, as well as throughout Trinity Health.

We invited our associates for a sneak peek of the unit two weeks before it opened!

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People 65 years of age and over represent the fastest growing population and will represent 20% of the population by 2030. Senior patients have unique care needs that require expertise to deliver the best care and produce exceptional outcomes. Saint Mary’s Health Care is responding by introducing specialized medical, nursing and other care that meets the specific needs of the patient 65 and older, their family and caregivers.

The Senior Adult Unit has 32 acuity-adaptable inpatient beds for patients 65 and over. It has been designed to meet the needs of the senior adult and uses evidence-based design principles.

Amenities Featured in Senior Adult Unit

This includes:

• all private rooms
• soft lighting
• noise absorbing materials
• recliners
• non-glare, slip-proof floors
• convenient grab bars
• an inviting color scheme

“To prepare for this unit, nurses, and patient care assistants were all interviewed specifically for this unit,” said Julie Lundvick, RN, CDE. “They have to have a passion for caring for the senior adult.”

“The team we have assembled for the new Senior Adult Unit is what most excites me,” said its medical director, Jim Passinault, MD, a geriatrician.

This highly skilled team of medical professionals includes:

• Doctors
• nurses
• pharmacists
• physical therapists
• dietitians
• case managers
• spiritual care
• social workers

Senior Emergency Services

Saint Mary’s Health Care currently has 65 trained registered nurses across the organization studying for the Geriatric RN certification, according to Lundvick. The plan is to place these specialists not only in the specialized unit, but also embed them within the entire hospital.

As of February 20, 2011, 36 have completed the 20 hours of continuing education including all modules and seven have become Certified Geriatric Registered Nurses.

Of course, this past August, Saint Mary’s received NICHE designation (Nurses Improving Care for Health-system Elders). NICHE is the leading organization in the country which supports healthcare professionals in hospitals in improving the care of older adults.

“This designation confirmed that we were on the right path for the opening of our Senior Adult Unit,” said Liz Murphy, CNO of Saint Mary’s Health Care.

As part of this designation, Saint Mary’s participated in a Geriatric Institutional Assessment Profile (GIAP), an instrument designed to help us analyze the needs of our senior patients and determine gaps in senior care specifically related to staff perceptions, ageism, and our current culture.

Leadership for Senior Adult Unit
James Passinault, MD, Medical Director
Julie Lundvick, Clinical Service Director, (616)685.6862; e-mail Lundvicj@trinity-health.org

Click below to watch WZZM 13's story about the new Senior Audit Unit!