Community frailty response service: the ED at your front door

Emerg Med J. 2020 Nov;37(11):714-716. doi: 10.1136/emermed-2020-210005. Epub 2020 Sep 24.

Abstract

We describe the expansion and adaptation of a frailty response team to assess older people in their usual place of residence. The team had commenced a weekend service to a limited area in February 2020. As a consequence of demand related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we expanded it and adapted the model of care to provide a 7-day service to our entire catchment area. Five hundred and ninety two patient reviews have been completed in the first 105 days of operation with 43 patients transferred to hospital for further investigation or management following assessment.

Keywords: frailty; geriatrics; prehospital care; therapists.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Betacoronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Emergency Medical Services / organization & administration*
  • Female
  • Frail Elderly*
  • Geriatric Assessment*
  • Health Services for the Aged / organization & administration*
  • Home Care Services, Hospital-Based / organization & administration*
  • Humans
  • Ireland / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • SARS-CoV-2