USA: Hospitals that care for the elderly getting into their NICHE

. NORTH ANDOVER, Massachusetts / Gloucester Daily Times / Lifestyle / October 8, 2009 Beverly Hospital follows Addison Gilbert in finding its NICHE By Cate Lecuyer, Staff writer BEVERLY — When it comes to caring for the elderly, Gloucester's Addison Gilbert has been a pace-setter, and its Northeast Health System colleague, Beverly Hospital, is now adhering to a new nursing standard as well. Beverly Hospital recently became one of 260 hospitals in the country to receive NICHE designation — a national program designed to help hospitals better handle problems that come with aging. NICHE stands for Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders. But the program was launched locally two years ago at Addison Gilbert Hospital, before expanding in the North Shore to both Beverly Hospital and Bayridge Hospital in Lynn. All three hospitals are part of Northeast Health System. In the most recent development, about 50 Beverly nurses have been trained in addressing sleep issues, depression and dementia, as well as aspects like assessing people who are at a high risk of falling, getting patients moving around to cut down on bed sores and making sure they're eating properly. In the past, hospitals have looked at some of these issues as just a routine part of getting old, said Michael Tarmey, Northeast's director of clinical operations for behavioral health. "What we've begun to do is take these syndromes that have been identified and set up a system so these kinds of things never happen," Tarmey said. The training focuses on differentiating the way nurses care for a senior, versus someone who is middle-aged, even if they're suffering from a similar problem. Shirley Conway, nurse manager of the Senior Adult Unit holds flowers given to her by Steven Gillespie, board certified geriatric psychiatrist and medical director of the Senior Adult Unit during a reception recently in honor of the five year anniversary of the Senior Adult Unit at Addison Gilbert Hospital. Also pictured is Jim Purdy, left, vice president of inpatient behavioral health. Mary Muckenhoupt/Gloucester Daily Times "Elders have a different set of health care needs than someone that's 50-years old, or 40-years old, or 30-years old," Tarmey said. "You don't treat a child as you would treat an elder." Eventually, NICHE certification will extend to all hospital employees, including doctors and support staff. [rc] Cate Lecuyer E-Mail: clecuyer@gloucestertimes.com © Copyright Eagle Tribune Publishing Company. Seniors World Chronicle adds To find out more About NICHE, click here