Preparing future healthcare professionals for caring for older adults is a necessity.

A collaboration with Orvis School of Nursing, Physician Assistant Studies Program, Sanford Center for Aging, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at University of Nevada, Reno and Sierra Nevada Veterans Affairs offered a half-day training at the University of Nevada, Reno for current healthcare students by pairing them with older adult volunteers. Each assessment lasted 20-30 minutes and rather than providing a script, each older adult volunteer talked as themselves as the students engaged and interacted while focusing on the 4Ms Framework.

The 4Ms Framework focuses on what matters most to the patient, medications, mentation (or mind) and mobility as key factors when working with older adults. This framework ensures that health care providers consider the full spectrum of elders’ needs as individuals, rather than making assumptions based on age.

“Both interviewers were very personable and had great eye contact,” said an anonymous OLLI volunteer. “They listened to what I had to say, and they validated my concerns about end-of-life issues.”

Each student earned a Certificate in Interprofessional Geriatric Care by completing recorded content about the 4Ms and participating in the patient simulation on May 23.

“I really enjoyed collaborating with the nurse practitioner students,” said Alex Angelo, a student in the physician assistant studies program. “I felt that it was good to get their perspective on assessing the 4Ms. While it was similar to our approach, they thought of things differently in some regards. They also provided some tips on re-orienting the conversation to the assessment if things got off-topic.”

In total, 53 students from the many different disciplines joined 14 older adult volunteers, a combination of OLLI members and community members.

“They followed up on my concerns,” said another anonymous OLLI volunteer. “I don’t have big issues or problems but they didn’t dismiss my small concerns and offered suggestions to take to my primary care doctor.”

Apart from valuable education for future healthcare professionals, this was an opportunity to include older adults in the shaping of healthcare education. Using their real-life experiences and conditions provided beneficial first-hand experience for students.

Following the assessments, students participated in a panel discussion with four speakers that represented the 4MS:

• Helena Russell, MD of Sierra Nevada Veterans Affairs represented what matters most and mentation
• Leslie Baker, PharmD, BCGP of Sanford Center for Aging represented medication
• Shelby Greene, LCSW, MSW of Sanford Center for Aging represented mentation and what matters most
• Jessica Yurtinus, DPT, MS of Sanford Center for Aging represented mobility