ASA Generations Article: Geriatric Emergency Departments and Their Targeted Response to COVID
The American Society on Aging's (ASA) Generations journal has published an article, "Geriatric Emergency Departments and Their Targeted Response to COVID."
More than 60% of older adults enter the hospital through the emergency department. Geriatric emergency departments (GEDs) have demonstrated heightened relevance during the pandemic in providing age-appropriate care and strengthening future public health emergency preparedness by developing and disseminating targeted recommendations, resources, training, and telehealth implementation support for healthcare staff.
The article, authored by the University of North Carolina's Kevin Biese and Phreesia's Adrienne Lesser, focuses on a range of strategies that GEDs deployed during the pandemic and how many of these changes should continue post-COVID. Some of the changes they recommend include improved visitation policies that recognize caregivers as essential partners in care for persons living with dementia, an increased emphasis on communication aids in the ED, and enhanced telehealth access and reimbursement to keep older adults out of the ED when possible.
Read the full article.
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Learn more about JAHF's co-funding of the Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative (GEDC).
