Age-friendly care is health care that addresses your unique needs as you get older. It can help you stay healthy and enjoy a better quality of life.
It’s care based on what research shows are the most important things to pay attention to as we get older: the 4Ms:
- What Matters to you in your life
- Medications you may take
- Mind – your mood and sense of well-being
- Mobility – how you move and get around
Talk to your health care provider about the 4Ms of age-friendly care at every visit. To prepare for your next medical appointment, download My Health Checklist, a free workbook based on the 4Ms.
The workbook includes questions for each of the 4Ms to help you think through what’s going well, what could be better, and any concerns to bring up at your next visit.
What Matters
As you age, your needs might change. Think about what is most important to you and what you enjoy most. This can help you talk with your health care provider about what’s most important for your health.
- What are the most important things in your life right now?
- What activities do you like to do?
- Is anything getting in the way of what you like to do?
Medication
If needed, medication can be an important part of your health. It’s important to make sure it’s working well. Some medication affects us differently as we age, too.
- What medications do you take regularly? What medications do you take only when needed?
- Are your medicines helping you reach your goals?
- Are your medicines causing any problems?
Mind
This is about your mood and your sense of well-being. It’s also about your mental ability, including your memory.
- Have you noticed any changes in your mood or memory?
- How happy do you feel on most days?
- How much do you worry about changes in your memory?
- Do people close to you worry about changes in your memory?
Mobility
It’s important to think about how to get around safely as we get older. This includes everything from exercising to getting around the house to going places. Staying active helps you maintain your health and independence.
- How do you move around your home?
- How do you get from place to place?
- Does anything limit your ability to move around?
My Health Checklist provides space for your answers and includes examples to guide you. You can print the workbook and complete it by hand or save it and fill it out on your computer before printing — whichever you prefer.
Bring a printed copy of your completed checklist to your next appointment so you can talk with your health care provider about what matters most to you.
For more resources on age-friendly care, visit johnahartford.org/agefriendly.
My Health Checklist was developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a not-for-profit health care improvement organization.
