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Ten ways to improve the care of elderly patients in the hospital
Author(s) -
Labella Angelena Maria,
Merel Susan Eva,
Phelan Elizabeth Anne
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of hospital medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.128
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1553-5606
pISSN - 1553-5592
DOI - 10.1002/jhm.900
Subject(s) - medicine , delirium , accidental , hospital medicine , geriatrics , psychological intervention , intensive care medicine , medline , population ageing , polypharmacy , population , family medicine , nursing , psychiatry , physics , environmental health , political science , acoustics , law
Hospitalists care for elderly patients daily, but few have specialized training in geriatric medicine. Elderly patients, and in particular the very old and the frail elderly, are at high risk of functional decline and iatrogenic complications during hospitalization. Other challenges in caring for this patient population include dosing medications safely, preventing delirium and accidental falls, and providing adequate pain control. Ways to improve the care of the hospitalized elderly patient include the following: screening for geriatric syndromes such as delirium, assessing functional status and maintaining mobility, and implementation of interventions that have been shown to prevent delirium, accidental falls, and acute functional decline in the hospital. This article addresses these issues with 10 evidence‐based pearls developed to help hospitalists provide optimal care for this expanding population. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2011;6:351–357. © 2011 Society of Hospital Medicine