Let’s face it: the older we get, the harder it becomes to bounce back from an acute illness or injury. A hospital stay can be especially stressful for older patients – in particular, those who are frail or living with other conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes.

To address this growing need, Crozer-Chester Medical Center recently opened an ACE (Acute Care of Elders) Unit, located on the One North wing of the medical center. Designed to be safe, comfortable and easy for seniors to use, the specialized unit strives to decrease the risk of functional decline that sometimes occurs during hospitalization of patients who are over the age of 65.

Led by a board-certified geriatric physician and nurse manager with experience in the ACE approach to personalized care, the ACE team also includes a case manager, specially trained nurses, a clinical nurse educator, a social worker, rehabilitation therapists, a pharmacist and a dietician.

The team works with each patient’s attending physician to design and provide personalized treatment. The attending physician continues to oversee the patient’s care plan with the input and benefit of rounds conducted on the unit by the ACE team.

“Our team works in conjunction with admitting physicians to provide comprehensive care for patients,” says William Zirker, M.D., M.P.H., chief of the Division of Geriatric Medicine at Crozer-Chester Medical Center and medical director of the ACE Unit. “We want to ensure that the patient maintains function, while avoiding unnecessary invasive tests and reducing falls and the use of restraints. We also work to avoid common acute illnesses in the elderly such as pneumonia, urinary tract infection, congestive heart failure and dehydration.”

In addition, the 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; and enable them to return to their former living arrangement.

Special features on the specially-designed unit include: 

• New signage written in a larger font and placed at a lower level on the wall
• A large day room for patients to visit with family and friends
• A child-friendly play area for visiting grandchildren
• A sitting area in the middle of the unit so those walking will have a place to take a break
• New lighting
• Adaptive devices on toilets
• Contrasting colors on the walls and door frames
• Chair and bed alarms
• Access to low beds that drop to 6 inches from the ground.

The ACE Unit joins the wide range of specialized senior health services offered by Crozer-Keystone Health System, including the Senior Support Line (1-800-CKHS-KEY), which connects seniors to senior-specific programs and services; and the Geriatric Evaluation Management (GEM) Program that evaluates seniors for medical, emotional and social issues, and then works with the patient’s primary care physician to build a plan of care.

For more information about the Acute Care of Elders Unit, call 1-800-CK-HEALTH (1-800-254-3258).