Caring for our Older Adults
At Aurora Medical Center in Burlington, caring for seniors comes with a need to implement tools and programs specifically designed to support that population.
One tool our hospital uses is the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) Tool. ISAR is a screening tool for people 65 and over who present in the hospital’s Emergency Department (ED), do not live in a long-term care facility, and who are well enough to complete the ISAR tool. The tool helps identify older adults who would benefit from referrals for follow-up care, including services provided by community partners, after being discharged from the ED. In 2024, 456 older adults who received screenings scored a 3 or higher, 87% of which were referred for additional support services.
To support older adults living in the community, additional hospital programs include:
•Senior Resource Nurses (SRNs) provide transportation and other community resource referrals, cognitive assessments, and educational classes. In 2024, our hospital SRNs supported 1,387 older adults and their family members and facilitated nearly 400 education sessions.
•Stepping On, a high-level, evidence-based program proven to reduce falls and build confidence in older people. Our hospital hosted 28 Stepping on sessions in 2024 for 261 attendees.
•Bingocize, a vibrant, evidence-based program that fuses fitness, health education, and Bingo together for older adults and people with disabilities.