Study: Acute Care for the Elderly units benefit seniors

A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that Acute Care of the Elderly (ACE) units have a positive impact on both patients and hospitals. An ACE is a unit where all patients over 65 are kept in the same area; using these units has been shown to reduce fall rates, delirium, and length of stay. ACEs also decreases the amount of patients who are admitted to a nursing home within a year of being discharged. (Registration required to view link.)

The Journal of Hospital Medicine (JHM) published a study that found in a typical hospital, 50% or more of all days spent caring for adult inpatients were used for patients over 65. However, the same study found that most elderly inpatients are rarely seen by a geriatric specialist. (Registration required to view link.)

Elderly patients come with a special set of medical issues such as cognitive impairment, dementia, delirium, depression, functions status, weight loss and advance care planning. They are also more prone to Post-Hospitalization Syndrome (PHS), when the stresses of their hospitalization cause them to be readmitted within 90 days.

To make up for the hospitalists’ lack of elder-care specialization, many facilities will hire outside geriatric service consultants to work with older patients. Unfortunately, a separate study found that these consultants had no effect on readmissions rates or post-discharge mortality rates. (Registration required to view link.)