Loading...
Half of elderly people in the U.S. visit an emergency department (ED) in the last month of life, and rates of intensive care unit (ICU) admission in this population are increasing. However, the use of robust palliative care programs integrating the ED is limited.
A multidisciplinary team at New York's Mount Sinai Medical Center developed a model to optimize ED care for geriatric patients. Called GEDI WISE (Geriatric ED Innovations in Care through Workforce, Informatics, and Structural Enhancements), the model involves a volunteer services program to help geriatric patients, specifically designed geriatric ED space, clinical care protocols, early involvement of inpatient palliative care, and dedicated staff training. In addition, nurse practi…