EP126: Nurse Innovation: NICHE with Mattia Gilmartin PhD, RN

<p><span style="font-weight: 300; font-size: 12pt;">America is getting older, and as people age, their bodies change. They're likely to have multiple chronic illnesses, and when they come into hospital care—that can be a vulnerable time. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 300; font-size: 12pt;">Considering that almost 60% of hospital beds are occupied by adults aged 65 and over, receiving specialized geriatric care in the healthcare system is critical.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 300; font-size: 12pt;">Learn with us today on This Is Getting Old as we explore how to make the world more age-friendly. Mattia Gilmartin, PhD, RN, is joining us. She will share her insights into NICHE—an incredible program that equips nurses and caregivers with the skills necessary to provide superior care for older adults. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Key points covered in this episode:</strong></span></p> <h2><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>✔️ What is the NICHE Program?</strong></span></h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE)</strong> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">is on a mission to revolutionize nursing care for elderly patients, bringing positive change and patient-oriented practices into the capabilities of healthcare facilities. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; font-size: 12pt;">NICHE's ultimate goal is to ensure that all seniors age 65+ receive top-notch medical attention - because everyone deserves to be treated with respect as they age.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; font-size: 12pt;">NICHE focuses on the risks older adults might face when they come to a hospital. The program helps nurses be on the lookout for those risk factors and ensure that older adults do not experience those risks during their hospital stay. For example, laying in a hospital bed for five days is dangerous because an older adults function will go down. So in a NICHE hospital, nurses ensure that older adults are