Challenges facing acute care

Nursing practice with older people has a broad compass, but for this issue of Nursing Older People we turn the spotlight on acute care. Older people account for a greater proportion of emergency department attendances and hospital admissions than younger people. They are also significantly more likely to present with non-injury, particularly cardiac-related conditions, and have multiple comorbidities ( Downing and Wilson 2005 ). The report by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death on care in acute hospitals ( page 7 ) highlights the need for practitioners to recognise this, and to be skilled in multidisciplinary working, communicating with patients and relatives and managing end of life care in acute settings.