Healthcare for the Aging
Nurses are leading efforts to improve healthcare for elderly patients (aged 65 years or older). Approximately one half of all hospitalized adults are elderly, and that percentage is expected to grow as more and more baby boomers reach retirement age.[1] By 2030, older adults will account for 20% of the population in the United States, or about 70 million people.[1]
Older adults are often frail and have multiple comorbidities. They frequently experience adverse outcomes during hospitalization, including functional decline, delirium, undernutrition, polypharmacy, and other iatrogenic events.[2] More than one quarter (27%) of elderly patients who experience an adverse event while hospitalized go on to have multiple related adverse events.[3] These adverse events often lead to higher costs, institutionalization, and even death.[4]
In addition, elderly patients often have little financial and social support, so discharge planning can be challenging.
Medscape Nurses © 2016 WebMD, LLC
Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: NICHE: Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders - Medscape - Oct 21, 2016.
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