Crowded and chaotic emergency rooms can be overwhelming and sometimes dangerous for seniors. A new emergency unit specially designed for patients 65 and older at UC San Diego Health in La Jolla is working to provide a higher level of care and a more dignified experience.
The 11 new patient rooms inside the accredited geriatric wing are equipped with sound-absorbing walls and ceilings and a variable lighting system that reflects the actual time of day.
Senior patients are treated by a team of doctors and nurses with special training in geriatric medicine.
The goal of the senior unit is to lower hospital admissions and readmissions as the growing aging population is expected to increasingly strain medical resources.
In California, the number of people 65 years and older is expected to climb by 2.1 million by 2026, according to Census data. By 2030, the number of people 65 and older in San Diego County is expected to double.
Tolia said seniors often have multiple symptoms and require complex care.