Geriatric EDs provide specialty care to those age 65+.

Every Cleveland Clinic Emergency Department (ED) in northeast Ohio (including Akron General’s main campus ED) has been awarded national Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation to provide care to older high-risk adults.

Stephen Meldon, MD, vice chair of Cleveland Clinic’s Emergency Services Institute and Saket Saxena, MD, a geriatrician, are co-directors of Cleveland Clinic’s geriatric emergency department and geriatric care unit. They discuss the benefits of geriatric ED services.

Q. What is a geriatric ED?

A. Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) is awarded by the American College of Emergency Physicians to emergency departments that meet rigorous requirements to standardize and improve emergency care of older patients with more complex health issues.

Q. How is a geriatric ED different than a traditional ED?

A. Geriatric EDs are within the regular emergency department, where specially-trained emergency medicine and geriatric medicine providers work side by side to assess and treat patients using senior-specific protocols. In addition to the usual rapid assessment and treatment, time and resources are also available to evaluate all aspects of an older patient’s health.

For example, when an older adult presents at the ED due to a fall, they undergo a thorough examination, including a complete medical history and review of chronic conditions and medications, to help determine why they may have fallen and if they are at risk to fall again, etc. Following the assessment, the team of caregivers, which includes pharmacy, physical therapy and social work, collaborates to determine next steps – whether the patient is treated and sent home, admitted to the hospital, transitioned to a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility, or prescribed home care services.

Q: What can be treated in a geriatric ED?

A. Geriatric EDs are well prepared to manage medically complex older adults who often present with memory/mental health and mobility issues, adverse drug reactions or lack of social support contributing to impaired health. More vague concerns like confusion, weakness, lethargy or ‘just not acting right’ are often caused by an underlying medical condition, requiring coordination of multidisciplinary care.

For older adult emergency care, call 911 or choose a Geriatric ED at Cleveland Clinic.

Stephen Meldon, MD Cleveland Clinic

Saket Saxena, MD Cleveland Clinic