Project Team Members:
Amy Stuck, PhD, RN; Chris Crowley, PhD (Gary and Mary West Health Institute); Vaishal Tolia, MD; Allyson Kreshak, MD; Tom Crisman, RN; Edward Castillo, PhD, MPH (UC San Diego Health System); Colette Armstrong, RN; Dave Davis, CNS, RN (AccentCare)
Background
Improving emergency department (ED) health services to better match the needs of older adults can be accomplished by providing additional disposition options. When seniors experience an acute change in health, options are often limited to calling 911 or going directly to the ED, which often results in a hospitalization. For complex seniors, there is a risk that limited disposition options carry a risk of cascading to hospital acquired complications. Because 70% of admissions for older adults originate in the ED, we sought to introduce an ED-based disposition option for treatment within the comfort and safety of home.
