E4 - The Geriatric Emergency Department

Abstract

The number of older adults in the United States and throughout the world is rapidly increasing. These individuals need integrated medical care systems that ensure that their often complex medical and social needs are met during emergency care to decrease adverse events while in the ED and after leaving the ED, whether to an inpatient setting or to the community. Unfortunately, the current status of many emergency departments, designed for maximum throughput efficiency while often being overcrowded and without an emphasis on patient comfort, frequently fails to meet the needs of older adults and, as a result, after discharge from the ED there is a high risk of ED return visit, rehospitalization, and/or death. Fortunately, there are now multiple resources available for emergency department leaders who wish to improve their care of vulnerable older adults including the Geriatric Emergency Department Guidelines, The Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative, and the American College of Physicians Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation program. These programs are rapidly growing in popularity and offer the knowledge needed to design sustainable improved care programs that result in improved higher-value care for vulnerable older adults.