A Bill of Rights for Hospitalized Older Adults

Acute-care hospitals have few structures, programs, or staff prepared to address the special needs of older adults. To address this issue, the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing [including the Nurses Improving Care for Hospitalized Elders (NICHE) program] and the Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations proposed language for a Bill of Rights for Hospitalized Older Adults. The Bill of Rights moves from general value statements to the specific knowledge, skills, and actions necessary to provide quality of care to older adults. The authors describe the development and testing of the Bill of Rights and suggest steps for its adoption and dissemination.