Geriatric Emergency Care

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

There has been great interest in the area of geriatric emergency care programs. The first geriatric emergency department was proposed in 2007 and the first accreditation program was created in 2018 by the American College of Emergency Physicians to recognize hospitals for higher levels of geriatric care; there are now more than 170 accredited GEDs around the world.

In a recent study among Medicare FFS beneficiaries, care received by transitional care nurses and/or Social Workers specializing in geriatrics was associated with lower total costs of Medicare expenditures compared with not receiving care from specialists. Medicare savings per beneficiary ranged from $2436 to $2905 in the immediate 30 days after an emergency room visit.

Innovative models of care have been implemented over the past decade to improve the quality of emergency care, improved health outcomes, and reduce costs for older emergency room patients. The goal would be that every senior in the country have access to specialized emergency care. Improved outcomes may not just be financial but may result in improved care! Stay well, mask up and stay tuned!