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Geriatric Emergency Department at St. Joseph's - Facilities
SJRMC opened the first Geriatric Emergency Department, which is designed to meet the complex needs of older patients (65 and older) in a senior- friendly environment.
The fastest growing segment of the population are people aged 65 and older. In 2030 that segment of the population will account for approximately 20 percent of the population of the United States. St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center discovered a need in the community to create a Geriatric Emergency Department.
Nearly 19 percent of St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center emergency department patients are 65 or older. The specific attributes of the Geriatric Emergency Department include several areas that will improve the comfort of the patients that are seen there, one of those is very simply mattresses (much thicker and more comfortable).
It is found that fluorescent lighting is very disorienting to patients as a result we have natural lighting that comes in through three sides of the department that is much more comforting, soothing to the eyes and less disorienting to the patients that are seen there.
This Geriatric Emergency Department is the first in this region of the country. We also have our pharmacist and toxicologist review all their medications, if they're on more than 5 medications there's a very high risk of a drug-drug interaction. We have found that without this process 40 percent of the patients that come to the Emergency Department have some functional decline after they leave the Emergency Department within 30 days. By developing the two step process and the toxicology oversight we are able to eliminate that functional decline completely. To have a successful Geriatric Emergency Department you need staff that understand the specific needs of geriatric and senior patients.
We have nurses, doctors, social workers, case managers, technicians, toxicologists, pharmacologists, and physical therapists have had specific training on how to deal with, talk to and explain directions to geriatric and senior patients. We are groundbreaking here and we are developing something that uniquely meets the needs of our community and the aging society in the country.
