Changing to Meet Seniors' Needs

Long waits and lack of information are among the biggest problems for
people who have to go to an emergency room, according to NPR. This is hard on older patients “who may have problems hearing—and
trouble communicating with staff—or who deal with dementia and can feel
anxious in a strange place, surrounded by strangers.”

“What’s different in this innovation,” Dr. Thomas told NPR, “is now the
emergency department is saying, we’re going to change to meet the needs
of the older people, not the other way around.” A trip to the emergency
room, then, would not only involve fast treatment and discharge, but
also offer an opportunity to uncover chronic problems that need
attention—and to prevent future emergency room visits for the same
reason.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, people age 75 and older had
the second-highest rate of emergency room visits in the country: 60.2
visits per 100 persons, representing about 10.2 million visits.
According to the Washington Post, nearly three-quarters of people over
65 come to the emergency room not in life-threatening crisis but
because of a fall, chest pain, shortness of breath, or some other
problem related to chronic conditions. Those are the ones who would be
seen at Holy Cross’s special emergency room.

Watch this video on the Holy Cross Seniors Emergency Center: