Emergency Medicine and the Person-Centered Approach to the Older Adult

Older adults (age 65 and older) represent the fastest growing age group of the population in the United States. Older patients account for approximately 10–15% of emergency department (ED) visits. ED visits by older adults are outpacing the population growth of people over 65. Admission rates for older adults are generally upwards of 40% following ED visits. Acute, life-threatening, illnesses in older adults may have more subtle presentations than in younger adults. Many ED visits by older adults are resource intensive and require more laboratory and radiological studies than younger patients. Early identification of acute illnesses in older adults may help prevent delirium, deconditioning, frailty, and other complications of acute illnesses in vulnerable older patients. Geriatric ED programs with access to multidisciplinary teams work to identify and manage serious illness in older adults and create safe discharge pathways for patients that are appropriate for discharge.