Utilizing Available Resources and Data to Improve Care for Older Adults

We live in an age where new information and data can be shared in an instant, which in turn means we must hasten our own review processes and lean on the resources available to us to ensure the best possible outcomes. Older adults in long-term care (LTC) facilities rely on the administrators and staff to provide the best possible care. To meet the needs of an exponentially growing older adult population, we must be vigilant about new information and research, sharing successes and failures to learn and improve patient care. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact health care across the globe, with older adults remaining among the highest risk populations to be affected, prompting new studies, trials, and data collection. Utilizing the best possible resources available is critical.

In its latest column (page 8), the American Geriatric society outlines the newest and updated collection of resources available to both clinicians and the public. These tools address new medication approvals, offer advice regarding the latest Centers for Disease and Prevention Guidelines, supply clinical checklists, discuss ways to avoid burnout among staff, and more.

The feature articles in this issue focus address the use of antipsychotic medication for older adults, as well as changes to care during the pandemic. Rebekah Gardner, MD, and colleagues, share the results of a quality improvement project dedicated to exploring the root causes of and strategies to decrease inappropriate antipsychotic prescribing to older adults (page 9). Giulia-Anna Perri, MD, CCFP, (COE), (PC), and colleagues, propose a framework to manage symptoms and end-of-life care, while also dealing with COVID-19 in LTC homes (page 14). Their research focuses on ensuring equitable access to palliative care.