Written by Taimur Mirza, MD, CMD, Chief Medical Officer, ArchCare
When ArchCare, the continuing care community of the Archdiocese of New York, was recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) as an Age-Friendly Health System, it wasn’t just a badge of honor. It marked a turning point for older adults in New York, signaling a deep institutional commitment to reimagining elder care with dignity, purpose, and innovation at its core.
What Does “Age-Friendly” Mean and Why Does It Matter?
The Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, spearheaded by IHI in collaboration with the John A. Hartford Foundation, AARP, and others, is a nationwide movement designed to fundamentally shift how healthcare systems approach aging. It rests on the “4Ms” framework: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility — a set of evidence-based priorities that place older adults at the center of care decisions.
This isn’t a mere checklist. It’s a cultural transformation.
What ArchCare’s Recognition Means for Residents and Families
At its core, this recognition affirms that ArchCare is delivering care that:
• Respects What Matters to Each Individual
Whether a resident wants to stay mobile enough to attend Mass, or prefers fewer medications that interfere with clarity of mind, ArchCare now has a structured system in place to consistently ask, listen, and act on those deeply personal goals.
• Minimizes Harmful or Unnecessary Medications
Polypharmacy is a common risk in elder care. ArchCare’s Age-Friendly approach ensures medication regimens are regularly reviewed to avoid interactions that can lead to falls, confusion, or hospitalization.
• Protects and Nurtures Cognitive Health
Dementia, depression, and delirium are too often treated as inevitable in older adults. ArchCare’s approach is proactive, embedding cognitive assessments into daily care practices and emphasizing mental stimulation, emotional support, and spiritual care.
• Keeps Residents Moving Safely
Preventing deconditioning and falls isn’t just about physical therapy, it’s about building an environment where residents are encouraged, equipped, and empowered to maintain mobility, however limited. From adaptive devices to hallway handrails to exercise programs, mobility is now everyone’s responsibility.
A New Gold Standard for Catholic Healthcare
As a faith-based system, ArchCare has always led with compassion. Now, that compassion is paired with national best practices and clinical excellence. This dual alignment of heart and science is what makes the Age-Friendly designation so meaningful. It proves that you don’t have to choose between spiritual care and cutting-edge geriatric care, you can have both.
Stronger Partnerships with Hospitals and Families
Hospitals looking to reduce readmissions, and families searching for post-acute options, are now seeking out Age-Friendly systems as a safer, smarter choice. With this designation, ArchCare becomes an even more trusted partner for discharge planners, geriatricians, and caregivers.
It also sets a new bar in the competitive landscape of skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and long-term care. At a time when many facilities are struggling to recover from the fallout of the pandemic, ArchCare has made a bold statement: older adults deserve better and we’re delivering it.
Leading the Way for New York and Beyond
With this recognition, ArchCare joins an elite group of institutions reshaping elder care across the country. But in many ways, the work is just beginning. Sustaining Age-Friendly care requires daily vigilance, ongoing staff training, and a deep cultural commitment at every level of the organization.
Fortunately, those are areas where ArchCare excels.
From the frontline CNA to the system’s CMO, the Age-Friendly principles are being embedded into hiring, onboarding, daily huddles, and quality improvement metrics. This is not a program, it’s a philosophy.
A Future Where Aging Is Not a Decline, But a Stage of Growth
In a world that too often sidelines its elders, ArchCare’s IHI recognition is a bold declaration: aging can be beautiful, purposeful, and full of life if we build the right systems around it.
For residents, families, staff, and the broader Catholic health community, this is more than good news. It’s a promise kept.
And for every older adult in ArchCare’s care, it’s a quiet but powerful message: You matter. And we’re listening.