Care of Older Adults with Multimorbidity: Geriatric Training for Hospice and Palliative Medicine Providers (P11)

Abstract

1.Conduct an effective evaluation and create an evidence-based treatment plan for common geriatric conditions applicable across diverse healthcare settings (inpatient palliative care, long-term care, and hospice).2.Describe principles of appropriate prescribing for geriatric patients, including appropriate medication dosing.3.Apply principles of the American Geriatrics Society Expert Panel on the Care of Older Adults with Multimorbidity to clinical practice. According to the ElderCare Workforce, “The current healthcare system is already overwhelmed by demands for geriatric care. Those specializing in the care of older adults cannot meet the current demand let alone the projected needs for eldercare.” Providers in the field of hospice and palliative medicine are increasingly managing the complex needs of geriatric patients with multiple comorbidities, oftentimes with minimal preparation. Those caring for frail older adults with multimorbidities near the end of life often must confront challenging situations: decisions regarding treatments that improve one condition but make another worse; assessing pain and other symptoms in patients that are cognitively impaired; prescribing medications while taking into account changes in pharmacokinetics due to age, and drug-disease and drug-drug interactions. It is imperative for healthcare professionals to meet the needs of this growing vulnerable population. This workshop aims to provide education, resources, and tools to hospice and palliative medicine providers in the principles of care of older adults with complex multimorbities. The workshop will provide an interactive overview of the American Geriatrics Society Expert Panel on the Care of Older Adults with Multimorbidity. Participants will engage in a PowerPoint game on the topic of pain assessment and treatment in older adults with multimorbidities. Facilitated small groups will discuss the American Geriatrics Society Geriatrics Evaluation and Management Tools (GEM Tools). Workshop facilitators will demonstrate an evolving case highlighting clinical interactions between a provider and an older adult with complex multimorbidities; small groups will then discuss the case demonstration compared with the evidenced-based material outlined in the GEM Tools. The evolving case will cover evidence-based assessment and management of pain, delirium, dementia, behavioral disturbances, falls, and frailty across diverse healthcare settings (inpatient palliative care, long-term care, and hospice).