Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Inpatient Unit

Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Inpatient Unit

Kent Hospital’s ACE unit is just one specialized program in Care New England’s Healthy Aging and Serious Illness service line, meant to diagnose, treat, and manage many of the specific issues that are impacting the health and quality of life for our community’s aging population.  

While no one wants to be in the hospital, our unit is best equipped to meet each patient’s unique needs. We have structured our program here to ensure that patients have access to a broad interdisciplinary team including hospitalists, social workers, pharmacists, occupational and physical therapists, nurses, and geriatric medicine specialists (physicians or clinicians who specialize in the care of older adults).  

Our goal is to help patients return to good health, preventing functional decline while in the hospital, by working with patients and caregivers to develop the best long-term approach to wellness. Our team works with patients and families to create a hospital care plan that is focused on each patient’s individual needs and meets the goals of care. 

Contact Information

Geriatrics Consultation Service
Kent Hospital
455 Toll Gate Road

Warwick, RI 02886
P: (401) 737-7000, ext. 34893

On the ACE Unit:

Geriatric Assessment
Patients are seen by the geriatric medicine team for a geriatric assessment including cognitive and functional screening to identify needs and goals upon admission.
Daily Care Rounds

There will be daily (Monday through Friday) care rounds led by a geriatrician and/or geriatric nurse practitioner. To ensure patients are ready to go home with everything they need and there are no delays, discharge planning is initiated from the day of admission.

Ongoing Communication

There will be ongoing communication of team recommendations with the patient, doctor, nurse, family, or another caregiver, and we will coordinate family meetings to help do this. 

A care model based on the 4 Ms:

Mobility

Another way we care for patients is to help them get out of the bed and walk around as much as possible and sit in a chair during meals. We perform a baseline assessment of mobility and provide occupational/physical therapy as needed.

Mentation

It is important for us to understand each patient’s risk of delirium, so we perform cognitive assessments and ensure appropriate sleep while in the hospital. We also provide support to prevent delirium from hospitalization.

Medication

We conduct a detailed medication review, provide pharmacy consultation, and focus on avoiding potentially inappropriate medications for older adults and discuss opportunities to simplify medication lists for once a patient is discharged.

What Matters

We are committed to increasing conversations between health care teams, patients, and their families about “what matters,” We meet with all patients to be sure we understand what their goals are for the hospitalization and their health care in general.

FAQs About the ACE Unit

What can I expect while I am here?
You can expect to be treated with dignity and respect. You and/or your caregiver will have a voice in your care plan, course of treatment, and any follow-up care needed after discharge. You can expect to be well informed by all members of your team throughout the duration of your stay here. You can expect that your team will be focused on your health, well-being, and the best course of treatment to help restore you to good health and quality of life.
How long can I expect to be here?
While it is our goal to help you get healthy and discharged within days, it is difficult to say for certain just how long you will stay with us here on the ACE unit. Every patient is different and dealing with their own unique health issues and treatment plan. With that in mind, everyone’s length of stay will be different and specific to their own recovery. You can be assured we will keep you updated on your latest developments, progress, and ultimate plan for your stay and discharge.
Will you coordinate with my current doctors?
Yes! Not only will we work to keep your entire care team here updated, along with you and your caregiver, but we will also keep your own personal doctors apprised of your admission and treatment plan. We firmly believe that the more information we have access to about your medical history and current condition(s), the more comprehensive our care can be with the ultimate goal being returning you to good health and high quality of life.
How can I ensure my family/caregiver is involved in my care?
Involving you, your family, and/or your caregiver is a highly important aspect of the care provided here on this unit. We know how important it is to keep everyone involved in providing updates on your care, treatment, and long-term plans - as best we know - at each step of the way during your stay here. We want to make sure that questions are being answered, complicated issues are being thoroughly explained, and important decisions involve all the right people and that begins with you and your caregiver.
What can I expect after I am discharged?
Once your care team believes you are ready to be discharged you will be involved in determining the next steps in the process. For some, this might mean being discharged to a skilled nursing facility, for others, this might mean being sent directly home, but perhaps needing some visiting nurse support. As you can imagine, the best plan for your post-discharge will be specific and developed directly with you and/or your caregiver. These conversations will take place during your stay and will be finalized on the day of your discharge while ensuring you have all the necessary information and details so that you may continue your recovery outside of the hospital.