Emergency Rooms Built With the Elderly in Mind
By Martin, Alyson; Rashidian, Nushin; New York Times,Publication Date: March 14, 2011
Article discusses hospital emergency rooms that are designed to accommodate older patients with physical and mental impairments. A new emergency room area designated for older adults at St. Joseph Mercy in Ann Arbor, Michigan, features handrails lining each wall, a nonskid floor to reduce the risk of falls, pressure reducing mattresses on every bed, alarms built into the mattresses to alert staff to wandering patients, and a walker provided in each room. Additional accommodations include softer room lighting, clocks with large faces, and reading glasses and hearing devices furnished on request. Physicians and nurses at the hospital have taken workshops in sensory appreciation and ageism to learn how to better communicate with older adults and their caregivers. Cognitive tests are administered to patients as part of a standard screening. Similar facilities have opened in Maryland, Texas, New Jersey, Missouri, and Kansas. A geriatric emergency department is reportedly also in development at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
Published by: New York Times Company (Website:http://www.nytco.com)
Link to text: http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/hospitals-building-emergency-rooms-for-the-elderly/
