Discussion
ACE Program
The ACE program is well defined, and all studies have reported identical implementation of the program.
These reports on the ACE program show positive outcomes in multiple areas. ACE care results in a positive trend in ADL performance improvement.
Patients on ACE units have a shorter length of stay than those on other units.
Patients spend less time in nursing homes or long-term care facilities in the 3-12 months following discharge from an ACE unit.
Additionally, patients on ACE units spend less time in physical or physical restraints, and depression is recognized and treated more often than on other units.
These findings suggest that the ACE program is an effective model of care for elderly patients with improved outcomes compared with caring for geriatric patients on other units.