Implementation of a line of care for older adults in a teaching hospital.

OBJECTIVE

To outline the design and implementation processes of a Line of Care for older adults at a teaching hospital in Southern Brazil.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre using the improvement model based on Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. The results analyzed were collected from the institution's databases for the period between 2019 and 2024. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the data.

RESULTS

The Care Line was implemented for hospitalized patients in wards and emergency departments, as well as for outpatients, considering the prevalent conditions in older adults. The actions were related to mental health, mobility, and drugs used, from the perspective of the older patients and their caregivers, developed according to the improvement model. Stand out the formation of a team of champions, situational diagnoses, the construction of multiprofessional protocols for the care of the older adult, and the prevention and treatment of delirium, as well as the monitoring of processes to guide new actions based on the results obtained.

CONCLUSION

The Care Line is being implemented through a program grounded in the science of improvement and practices for older adults' care, enhancing clinical practice, education, and care management.