The GRACE Model

The Geriatric Resources for Assessment and Care of Elders (GRACE) model was originally developed to improve the quality of care for vulnerable older adults. The goal of the GRACE model was to optimize health and functional status, decrease excess healthcare use, and prevent long-term nursing home placement. GRACE built on the lessons learned from prior efforts to improve the care of older adults and added several new features, including integration of the geriatrics team within the primary care environment, in-home assessment and care management by a nurse practitioner and social worker team, and integration with affiliated pharmacy, mental health, home health, and community-based services. A randomized controlled trial of the GRACE intervention demonstrated that at 2 years the intervention group compared to the control group had higher quality of life, better quality of care, and fewer emergency department visits. Fewer hospitalizations and lower acute care costs were seen in a high-risk group. Following completion of the randomized controlled trial, the GRACE model has been successfully implemented within diverse healthcare systems while consistently showing positive results, such as reduction in acute care services utilization and high patient and physician satisfaction. As a result of growing interest in the GRACE model, the GRACE Training and Resource Center was established to provide training and technical assistance to organizations and healthcare systems desiring to implement the model now referred to as GRACE Team Care™. The GRACE Training and Resource Center offers a variety of training programs, consultative assistance, and web-based tools to assist with program implementation, evaluation and sustainability.