Hospital Opens Acute Care for Elderly Unit

As we age, it becomes more difficult to bounce back from an acute illness or injury, especially if it involves a hospital stay. Unfamiliar routines and surroundings, diagnostic procedures, medication changes and bed rest can take their toll on seniors. And after they leave the hospital, it may take time for them to regain their previous level of independence.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

The Acute Care for Elderly (ACE) Unit at Houston Northwest Medical Center incorporates specialized care to meet the unique physical, mental, emotional and social needs of seniors. The goal? To enable seniors to maintain their independence after leaving the hospital.

The ACE Unit is designed to meet the special needs of patients over the age of 65. Patients in the ACE Unit receive interdisciplinary care to help them maximize function and maintain independence during hospitalization for a broad range of illnesses, such as pneumonia or heart failure.

Patients commonly seen in the unit are older adults who may have dementia, problems with mobility, memory loss, or issues with orientation to their environment.

The goal of the ACE unit is to work to prevent functional decline and restore function of acutely ill elderly patients using an approach comprised of four key elements: prepared environment, patient-centered care, discharge planning and patient care review by an interdisciplinary team.

Other common goals of the ACE Unit are to help older patients:

• Recover as quickly as possible from the illness or injury that required hospitalization
• Prevent the complications often associated with a hospital stay
• Maintain their ability to perform the activities of daily living
• Enable them to return to their former living arrangement

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