Logan Hospital’s growing geriatric services are helping the elderly access fast-tracked care, often in the comfort of their own homes.
The Geriatric Emergency Department Intervention (GEDI) Service and the Geriatric Evaluation and Management in the Home (GEMITH) Service are making sure patients return home sooner, reduce the need for readmission and alleviate their stress.
Logan's GEDI service kicked off in 2019 and provides targeted care to around 180 older patients living independently in the community every month.
Geriatrician Dr Sreenath Bukkapatnam said the program gave frail patients over the age of 75 access to a rapid geriatric clinic and multidisciplinary support when they presented to the Emergency Department.
“This helps facilitate a safe, early discharge,” Dr Bukkapatnam said. “As we are gear up to celebrate our fifth birthday, we are proud to say GEDI has positively impacted the quality of life of more than 8000 patients.”
GEMITH lead Dr Kannan Natarajan said he and his team had spent the past 12 months revolutionising patient care for the elderly, finding effective ways to provide treatment in the familiar surroundings of a patient’s home.
He said patients treated at home experienced reduced levels of stress, faster recovery times and were less likely to require additional stays in hospital.
“During its first 12 months of operation the GEMITH service treated 218 patients with each person receiving care for up to 12 days.
“We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from patients who have experienced remarkable outcomes, all thanks to the work of our team and this incredible patient-centred service.”
Both doctors said they were enthusiastic about the future of geriatric care at Logan Hospital, with a new dedicated medical unit launching in the coming weeks.
Once established, the Geriatric Emergency Medicine Unit (GEMU) will coordinate and facilitate all older person services at Logan's Emergency Department.
GEMU will comprise of six beds, tailored to the needs of older patients and will include specialist equipment such as functional and cognitive aids.
Treating doctors and nurses will also have increased knowledge in caring for cognitively impaired patients and the elderly.
The establishment of the unit will improve patient flow through the ED and provide fast tracked access to care for this vulnerable group.