Enhancing care of older adults in the emergency department: old problems and new solutions

The dramatic increase in the number of older adults in our society is creating greater demand for age-appropriate health care services. Because older adults use proportionally more emergency services than any other age group, it is important to address problems and find solutions to emergency care for this vulnerable population. Older adults often need specialized care to meet complex physical and psychological needs in an emergency department (ED). A new focus on establishing geriatric EDs holds promise for reducing barriers to ED access and decreasing suboptimal outcomes. Recently published geriatric ED guidelines provide health care professionals with recommendations to systematically improve emergency care for older adults.