Health Professional Resources

4Ms Framework

Dakota Geriatrics is providing support and collaboration for your organization in becoming an Age Friendly program under the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP). The Age Friendly care model focuses on the 4Ms framework — What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility — which makes care of older adults, that can be complex, more manageable.

Here are some helpful quality improvement tools to work through this project in achievable steps.

• First, complete the 4 M's checklist to help identify any gaps in your current state of the 4M framework.
• Next, utilize the Team Charter to assemble your team, project goals, and measures.
• Then, your team completes Project Planning form to outline the interventions, measures, and goals.

The PDSA worksheet is a simple tool to perform rapid cycle testing to assess whether a change leads to an improvement. PDSA cycles can be logged and tracked on your project planning form.

Cognitive

The facts are compelling: currently more than five million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease. Ultimately, one out of every three Americans will die from Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia.

Training Curriculum

• Train Healthcare Workers About Dementia
  Training for the primary care workforce about dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and caring for those affected.

Screening

• Mini-Cog©
  A 3-minute instrument that can increase detection of cognitive impairment in older adults.
• Saint Louis University Mental Status Exam (SLUMS)
  An assessment tool for detecting mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Opioids

• Pocket Guide: Tapering Opioids for Chronic Pain
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has prepared a free pocket guide to help physicians considering reducing or eliminating opioid dosage to chronic pain patients.

Telehealth

• The Annual Wellness Visit Telemedicine Toolkit
  In response to the challenges posed by the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Community Medical Group has compiled a number of resources designed to help you and your practice continue providing Medicare's initial and subsequent Annual Wellness Visit using telemedicine.