Enhancing healthcare access for an older population: The age‐friendly emergency department

Abstract

Healthcare systems face significant challenges in meeting the unique needs of older adults, particularly in the acute setting. Age‐friendly healthcare is a comprehensive approach using the 4Ms framework—what matters, medications, mentation, and mobility—to ensure that healthcare settings are responsive to the needs of older patients. The Age‐Friendly Emergency Department (AFED) is a crucial component of a holistic age‐friendly health system. Our objective is to provide an overview of the AFED model, its core principles, and the benefits to older adults and healthcare clinicians. The AFED optimizes the delivery of emergency care by integrating age‐specific considerations into various aspects of (1) ED physical infrastructure, (2) clinical care policies, and (3) care transitions. Physical infrastructure incorporates environmental modifications to enhance patient safety, including adequate lighting, nonslip flooring, and devices for sensory and ambulatory impairment. Clinical care policies address the physiological, cognitive, and psychosocial needs of older adults while preserving focus on emergency issues. Care transitions include communication and involving community partners and case management services. The AFED prioritizes collaboration between interdisciplinary team members (ED clinicians, geriatric specialists, nurses, physical/occupational therapists, and social workers). By adopting an age‐friendly approach, EDs have the potential to improve patient‐centered outcomes, reduce adverse events and hospitalizations, and enhance functional recovery. Moreover, healthcare clinicians benefit from the AFED model through increased satisfaction, multidisciplinary support, and enhanced training in geriatric care. Policymakers, healthcare administrators, and clinicians must collaborate to standardize guidelines, address barriers to AFEDs, and promote the adoption of age‐friendly practices in the ED.