The 5Ms of Healthy Aging: A Framework for Person-Centered Care
Healthy aging isn’t just about avoiding disease—it’s about aligning healthcare with what truly matters to each individual. The 5Ms framework offers a simple, powerful way to guide age-friendly, goal-aligned care across all settings.
Originally developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and now expanded by the American Geriatrics Society, the 5Ms focus on the priorities that often matter most in older adulthood—and frankly, for anyone who wants to age well.
1. What Matters
Care should reflect a person’s unique values, preferences, and goals—including how they define quality of life, independence, and even end-of-life wishes. Whether navigating chronic illness or pursuing vitality, this is the compass point for all care decisions.
2. Medications
Age-friendly prescribing means using the fewest, safest, and most effective medications possible. Polypharmacy and inappropriate medications can cause harm—so regular medication reviews and “deprescribing” are key to protecting function and dignity.
3. Mentation
Cognitive and emotional wellness are critical. We focus on preventing, identifying, and treating dementia, depression, delirium, and anxiety, all of which can profoundly affect function, safety, and social connection.
4. Mobility
Staying safely mobile keeps people independent. We support movement at every level—through assistive devices, fall prevention strategies, exercise, and environments that promote confident navigation.
5. Multicomplexity
Many older adults live with multiple chronic conditions, functional limitations, and social challenges. This M reminds us to consider the whole person in context—and the systems, caregivers, and inequities that affect care. Multicomplexity challenges us to avoid one-size-fits-all plans.
A Framework for Everyone
Though rooted in geriatrics, the 5Ms are broadly applicable for anyone navigating the aging process. This framework is more than clinical—it’s a lens for respectful, evidence-based, human-centered care.
