June 5, 2023

Ageism in Healthcare Leaves Seniors Behind — But Senior Living Can Help Make a Difference

About Kim Elliott

Chief Nursing Officer

When it comes to leading clinical programs, Kim is our go-to authority on resident care, while maintaining the highest standards for quality and compliance. As Chief Nursing Officer, her care philosophy is based on the importance of individualized care, personal choice and resident independence. Kim is dedicated to finding more options to help our residents live and age well. That’s why she has taken a population health approach to surrounding our residents with the healthcare services they need to help manage their chronic conditions. Kim’s passion for senior healthcare developed in nursing school during a routine rotation. When she saw a shortage of quality nurses working in senior living, Kim knew she had found her calling and a place where she could make a difference. Kim joined Brookdale in 2014. She serves on the Argentum Clinical Quality Executive Roundtable, is on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Central Florida University School of Nursing and is a member of the Nightingale Society. She was recently inducted into McKnight’s Women of Distinction Hall of Fame. Kim has a master’s degree in Nursing, with a specialty of executive leadership from Chamberlain College of Nursing.

Some might argue we’re fighting an uphill battle when it comes to supporting healthy aging in senior living. The systems and structures surrounding our residents outside of our communities, which resist instead of support aging, have already left their mark. This can be the result of something as abrupt as a dismissive comment by a provider or as systemic as requiring all patients to navigate patient portals to complete their medical histories. But as a senior living community focused on improving outcomes, we aim to be an advocate for older patients — because no one else in the United States cares for as many seniors as we do, as well as we do. And as a result, we are moving the needle on what it means to age well.

As many as one in five Americans ages 50 and older said they have experienced discrimination in a healthcare setting. Of those who reported frequent discrimination, one in three developed new or worsening disabilities over a four-year period. With more than 670 communities across 41 states, Brookdale Senior Living can help keep people near the communities they love while eliminating many external factors that could prevent seniors from living their healthiest lives, by bringing residents inside an environment that actively fosters, respects and enhances the senior health experience. That means taking the time to listen to each resident’s unique story, their health concerns, and what quality of life means to them, then taking steps together to help them achieve those goals. Those small details — from surroundings that support those with limited mobility to a friend meeting you every morning for a nutritious breakfast tailored to your health needs — make an impactful difference. The estimated health cost of ageism, which leads to both overtreatment and undertreatment, can be as high as $63 billion annually.

Health providers often have a limited amount of time during appointments, which can lead to quick judgments or disrespecting older patients — whether intentional or not. A hearing impairment may be misinterpreted as cognitive decline, or a family member joining their older loved one at the medical appointment may lead to the practitioner talking about the patient, instead of actively involving the patient in the conversation. When residents come into our care at Brookdale, we look at the whole person, and we plan services and programs so that the resident will receive personalized care, including supporting preventive care. This is a proactive approach, rather than the often reactive nature of responding to seniors’ changing conditions that often results from dismissing the needs of older patients when those needs are smaller and more manageable. In this way, Brookdale’s partnership with our residents and their care teams helps overcome ageism. It’s also why Brookdale has a reputation for helping meet the healthcare needs of residents so that they can live the lives they want. We know that when we involve residents and their care partners in health decisions, it’s more likely that we’ll make progress toward improved outcomes together.

Especially during the pandemic, technological innovations for connection and care evolved rapidly with the growing demand and need. But this happened at such a pace that it left many seniors who needed to navigate these systems on their own, falling through the cracks. When that happens, those seniors can feel as though no one cares and that this process is hopeless to pursue because they can’t keep up. Navigating websites and patient portals to make an appointment, not to mention telehealth platforms, can be a massive barrier. Even for someone technologically savvy, if there are dexterity issues, vision impairments or limited broadband availability, those systems become even more difficult to deal with. At Brookdale, we help residents navigate these systems and take on the burden of technology, whether that’s helping residents connect with their families or making appointments for care.

The very nature of community is central to senior living’s role in overcoming the obstacles we all face as we age. We’ve found that personal connections are more beneficial and impactful for the health of our residents than focusing on group activities or struggling to maintain contact with acquaintances outside of senior living. This goes beyond general interests to connecting residents with similar lived experiences. Residents have found not only companionship in our communities, but also purpose and belonging through connections. Every person has a unique story. We respect and honor all of our residents’ passions, and we create connections that help foster and celebrate those interests. But these opportunities for community to help change outcomes involve more than socialization. Our residents, as they live alongside one another, can sometimes be the first to notice a change in condition among their peers. That level of caring and concern buoys our residents with profound benefits for their psychological well-being, and it helps bring a dynamic and powerful social aspect to a phase of life that can often be quite isolating.

Being an advocate who actively overcomes ageism throughout the systems that are meant to care for seniors motivates us daily, and this is why senior living is an essential part of the healthcare-access conversation for seniors. We believe our communities could serve as a model for the larger healthcare community in terms of how we all show up and are more inclusive to help meet the needs of seniors and be allies in their care. We know that the steps we take to become a partner in healthcare can help remove ageist barriers across our system — and can have a huge impact on thousands of seniors nationwide.

Kim Elliott joined Brookdale in July 2014 and has served as senior vice president and chief nursing officer since August 2021. Elliott has more than 29 years of experience in senior living and has developed a care philosophy based on the importance of individualized care, personal choice and resident independence. Elliott received a BSN in nursing from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree in nursing with a nursing executive specialty from Chamberlain University.

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