ACE Unit Reopens

COVER STORY

By Tanya Sterling

Photos by Kelley Sweet Photography

OakBend Medical Center’s Jack and Billie Wendt Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit has officially reopened its doors, ushering in a new sense of normalcy to the healthcare facility. The ACE Unit, specially designed to cater to the unique needs of elderly patients, is dedicated to providing exceptional care while promoting a home-like atmosphere and involving families in the care process. With a multidisciplinary approach that includes a team of experts, including physical therapists, nurses, dieticians, pharmacists and physicians, our ACE Unit aims to create a care environment that enhances mobility and independence, reduces hospital length of stay, reduces readmissions, optimizes overall well-being and ensures patient comfort and dignity.

A Legacy Serving Fort Bend’s Elderly

As it reopens, the ACE Unit carries on its legacy of operating with specific goals in mind, all centered around improving the quality of life for elderly patients. OakBend’s ACE Unit strives to counteract functional decline and immobility, two common challenges faced by seniors in hospital settings. Additionally, the ACE team is dedicated to preventing or reducing falls, skin breakdown and delirium, which can greatly impact the health and recovery of elderly patients. By prioritizing patient safety and timely discharges to home, our ACE Unit provides a care approach that strategically addresses the unique needs of older adults.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OakBend Medical Center, Joe Freudenberger, reminisces about the genesis of the unit.

“We were doing some research on the approach to improve hospital care for the elderly and found some persuasive research suggesting that shorter lengths of stay helps all patients, but especially the elderly, lose less functional capacity. In lay terms, when you lay around in bed, your muscles weaken, and that includes your heart and lungs. Getting folks to walk, engage in activities and socialize helps mitigate some of the loss of capacity that comes from being hospitalized,” said Freudenberger. “There are actually nursing protocols developed at a number of institutions, most notably Harvard Medical School, called Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) protocols, which guide us in this model of care.”