title: Meet the needs of aging patients with a senior-friendly ED.
abstract: A growing number of medical centers are establishing separate senior EDs to take care of older patients who have different clinical and emotional needs than younger populations. Such units offer thicker mattresses, subdued lighting, pharmacological reviews, and screening exams for issues that frequently occur in senior populations. In addition, many are staffed with clinicians with at least some geriatric training. St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson, NJ, has seen its return rate within 30 days plummet from 20% to just over 1% since it opened a 14-bed geriatric unit two years ago, and all of the senior patients who have visited the unit prefer it over the main ED. Novi, MI-based Trinity Health is in the process of implementing senior EDs in all of its acute care hospitals after Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD, successfully piloted the idea in 2008. Experts stress that you don't have to develop a separate unit to offer senior-friendly care. Providing staff with some geriatric training can help them better understand the health care needs of older patients.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D014481:United States