Peterborough, ON – June is Seniors Month in Ontario, and Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is pleased to announce that we are among the first hospitals in Canada to be awarded Age-Friendly Health System designation from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).

Over the past decade, PRHC has worked to develop our Seniors’ Care Centre of Excellence, supported by a comprehensive seniors’ care strategy. With this new designation, PRHC joins an international group of more than 2,700 health systems that are working to tailor care toward patients’ goals and preferences, and to deliver care that is consistently of the highest quality.

“The Peterborough region is among the fastest-growing communities in the country, as well as the oldest population demographically in Canada, with 22 per cent of residents over the age of 65,” said Noel Bennett, Vice President, Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive (CNE). “As our community continues to grow and age and as our patients’ care needs evolve and become more complex, it is critical that we continue to transform, innovate and invest in programs and partnerships to support seniors. This Age-Friendly Health System designation is an important step forward, recognizing our efforts to date and supporting our ongoing work to improve the care we provide.”

The IHI’s age-friendly health system designation is based on a series of practices focused on addressing four (4) essential elements of care for older patients, known as the 4Ms:

  • What Matters: Know and align care with each older adult’s specific health outcome goals and care preferences across settings of care, including end-of-life care.
  • Medication:If medication is necessary, use age-friendly medications that do not interfere with what matters to the older adult, mobility, or mentation across settings of care.
  • Mentation: Prevent, identify, treat, and manage dementia, depression, and delirium across settings of care.​
  • Mobility: Ensure that older adults move safely every day in order to maintain function and do what matters.
  • The Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative was launched in 2017 by The John A. Hartford Foundation and Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in partnership with the American Hospital Association and Catholic Health Association of the US. For more information, visit www.ihi.org/agefriendly. 

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PRHC is the region’s largest employer, with more than 3,100 staff, 450 physicians with privileges and a core group of 250 volunteers delivering acute healthcare to a rapidly growing population of more than 300,000 in Peterborough and the surrounding communities, including the First Nations of Curve Lake, Alderville and Hiawatha. Last year, PRHC released its 2024-2029 Strategic Plan, which highlights our organization’s purpose, values and commitments, including our plans to expand our seniors’ centre of excellence to support our region. Learn more about PRHC’s strategic plan here.

For more information:

Michelene Ough | Director, Communications | mough@prhc.on.ca