Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital has opened a new acute care unit designed specifically to provide high-quality, holistic and person-centered care for the growing senior population in the Houston area.
The Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Unit is designed to address the challenges older adults often face during hospitalization. Every detail, from the specialized training for care teams to the design of the unit, has been developed to deliver personalized care. The ACE Unit represents a continuation of Memorial Hermann Health System’s commitment to serving older adults – a commitment that also includes a new inpatient hospice care offering at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital and the Silver Trauma Unit at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center
“The senior population is growing rapidly in southwest Houston and throughout the Greater Houston area, which is why the ACE Unit, and others like it, are so important to helping us achieve our vision to create healthier communities,” said Malisha Patel, Senior Vice President and CEO of Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital and Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital. “We are so pleased to be able to further personalize care for our older adult patients through this new unit.”
Patel says the ACE Unit helps patients and care teams:
- Maintain and improve patients’ health.
- Decrease the need for a transfer to another facility.
- Get patients home sooner.
- Decrease adverse events.
- Increase education about and connection to community resources.
- Reduce overall readmissions.
Recently, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement recognized Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital as an Age-Friendly Health System Participant. This honor reflects the hospital’s commitment to deliver on “the 4Ms” of age-friendly care: What Matters Most, Medication, Mentation and Mobility.
Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital isalso a member of NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders). As a member, ACE Unit nursing staff receive intensive training to support the development and delivery of age-friendly care that improves quality, experiences and outcomes.
“Collaboration among our physician, employee and community partners has made our ACE Unit possible, and we truly believe it will make a big difference in the lives of our senior population,” said Gillian Alexander, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital.
The ACE Unit is housed on the 10th floor of Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital.
