INMO & HAT Applying the Age-Friendly 4Ms in Irish Nursing Residential Homes

Ireland is the first country officially recognised as Age-Friendly, aligning with World Health Organisation and United Nations goals for age-friendly communities. Age Friendly Ireland has advanced this work through local, national, and international collaboration. In response, the Health Service Executive introduced Delivering an Age-Friendly Health System: A Blueprint to Transform Health and Healthcare for Older Adults, which promotes healthcare systems that improve older people’s wellbeing and quality of life.

This publication is important for nurses working with older people in healthcare. It is based on the internationally recognised 4Ms Framework, which includes:

· What Matters: Understand each older person’s values and preferences so care reflects their choices.

· Medication: Prescribe medicines safely and responsibly, supporting what matters to the person and, where relevant, their mental health and mobility.

· Mind: Support emotional and cognitive wellbeing through prevention, early detection, and management of delirium, dementia, and depression.

· Mobility: Help older adults stay independent and take part in meaningful activities.

The 4Ms Framework supports benchmarking across care settings and strengthens professional development by embedding its principles in clinical practice.

INMO and Health Action Training (HAT) have created a new CPD course for nurses and healthcare assistants in nursing homes and residential care across Ireland.

Aim

Explore how the Age-Friendly 4 M’s Framework can be used in nursing homes and residential care.

Learning Outcomes

· Understand person-centred care and the 4Ms in Irish care homes.

· Use drama, forum theatre, and improv to apply the 4Ms.

· Complete a reflection on developing 4Ms-related skills in Irish care homes.

Who are Health Action Training?

We are educators who use person-centred practice and applied drama to address challenges in care settings. Our workshops use improvisation, role-play, and forum theatre to strengthen communication, sympathetic presence, and decision-making. Using real-life scenarios and actor training, we create realistic role plays that participants can shape and develop. Our centring and breathing techniques build self-awareness and practical stress management. Since 2019, we have trained healthcare professionals internationally and serve as the lead education partner for the International Nursing Now Leadership Challenge.

Content

· 4Ms in nursing and residential care

· Person-centred care and the 4Ms

· Evidence-based practice and the 4Ms

· Supporting emotional and cognitive wellbeing

· Role-play and forum theatre

· Creative personal reflection