Senior US citizens that are sent to the emergency room and returned home are at more risk of disability and worsened health within the subsequent six months, according to Yale research. Hospitalizations are already known to raise disability rates in older patients, but the 14 year study on 700 older adults examined the aftermath of being discharged from the emergency department. The study found that the current medical care for newly disabled seniors is $26bn in the US. “Older Americans have been left behind by a healthcare system that has failed them,” said Dr David Himmelstein, director of Physicians for Social Responsibility. “Patients may benefit from ED-based initiatives to evaluate and potentially intervene upon changes in disability status,” Nagurney said. The study concluded that improved assessments of function, the implementation of care transition coordinators and further geriatric specialists would help reduce risk.
Senior US citizens that are sent to the emergency room and returned home are at more risk of disability and worsened health within the subsequent six months, according to Yale research. Hospitalizations are already known to raise disability rates in older patients, but the 14 year study on 700 older adults examined the aftermath of being discharged from the emergency department. The study found that the current medical care for newly disabled seniors is $26bn in the US. “Older Americans have been left behind by a healthcare system that has failed them,” said Dr David Himmelstein, director of Physicians for Social Responsibility. The study concluded that improved assessments of function, the implementation of care transition coordinators and further geriatric specialists would help reduce risk.