Putting What Matters First: Advancing Age-Friendly Care in Rhode Island

When a Rhode Island man delayed needed surgery because he was worried about who would care for his wife at home, his primary care team recognized that addressing his medical needs meant understanding what mattered most to him. Through an age-friendly care approach, the team helped arrange respite care for his wife, allowing him to move forward with the surgery he needed.

Stories like this are becoming more common across Rhode Island thanks to an age-friendly care initiative supported by UnitedHealthcare.

Led by the Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center at the University of Rhode Island in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Care Transformation Collaborative of Rhode Island (CTCRI), the initiative is helping primary care practices better meet the unique needs of older adults while supporting their health, independence, and quality of life.

With approximately 20 percent of Rhode Island residents age 65 and older, the need for healthcare providers who understand the complexities of aging continues to grow. Support from UnitedHealthcare helped bring together healthcare organizations, educators, and public health leaders around a shared goal: helping primary care practices deliver care that focuses on what matters most to older adults and their families. The initiative also demonstrated the value of investing in age-friendly care, helping create opportunities for additional support and braided funding from other partners to sustain and expand the work over time.

At the center of the effort is the Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms Framework, an evidence-based approach that encourages providers to incorporate four essential elements into every patient interaction:

What Matters: Understanding each patient’s health goals, preferences, and priorities.
Medication: Ensuring medications are appropriate, necessary, and do not interfere with quality of life.
Mentation: Screening for and addressing dementia, depression, and delirium.
Mobility: Helping older adults maintain safe movement, function, and independence.

Participating primary care practices received education, coaching, and practical tools to integrate these age-friendly principles into their daily workflows. UnitedHealthcare’s support also helped encourage participation and implementation across practices throughout the state.

The results demonstrate the power of collaboration and shared commitment.

Seventeen primary care practices completed the training and strengthened their ability to provide age-friendly care. Providers identified more than 300 caregivers and connected them with valuable community resources and support services, recognizing caregivers as essential partners in helping older adults remain healthy and independent.

Through their participation, practices advanced implementation of the Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms Framework and worked toward formal recognition through the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the national organization leading the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement. This recognition acknowledges organizations that consistently incorporate the 4Ms into care and demonstrates a commitment to improving outcomes for older adults.

One participating practice, Breakwater Primary Care in Warwick, RI, saw firsthand how the 4Ms Framework can improve outcomes.

“Learning about the 4Ms, especially the impact of care partner stress, opened our eyes to how significantly caregiver strain can influence a patient’s overall health,” said Jamie Handy, Practice Manager. “This awareness has helped our team better understand the interconnected factors affecting well-being and strengthen the support we provide to both patients and their care partners.”

The initiative’s impact extends beyond individual practices. It also highlights the important role that partnerships among healthcare organizations, academic institutions, and corporate supporters can play in advancing innovative approaches to care and creating opportunities for continued growth.

“This initiative demonstrates the powerful role strategic investments can play in advancing innovation and improving community health,” said Megan Uebelacker, Executive Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations. “We work to connect donors, corporate partners, and academic expertise to address real-world challenges. UnitedHealthcare’s early support helped launch an effort that not only improved care for older adults but also strengthened partnerships across Rhode Island’s healthcare sector, creating momentum for continued growth and impact.”

Sometimes the most meaningful changes begin with a simple question: What matters most? By helping providers put that question at the center of care, this initiative demonstrates how modest investment can spark lasting change for older adults across Rhode Island.