Pensioners attending an accident and emergency department.
A three-month prospective study of the 1026 pensioners attending the Accident and Emergency Department (A.E.D.) at Oldham is reported. Although they constituted 9.8% of the total attendance, they formed 36.5% of all admissions. Proportionate admission of males was higher than females. Over half the total admissions were due to medical emergencies, whereas only a quarter were due to injury. Contrary to the general impression, the survey showed that the use of A.E.D. and 999 Emergency services was appropriate. Self-referral rate was high, but most of the old people who tried first to contact their general practitioner succeeded in doing so.
D000368:Aged; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012179:Retirement; D013997:Time Factors