WESTERLY With about 23% percent of the town's population estimated to be at least 65, coupled with a nationwide aging trend, officials at Westerly Hospital anticipate the number of seniors seeking emergency care to grow. With that in mind the facility, along with all others in the Yale New Haven Health system, recently earned special geriatric accreditation.

Westerly Hospital and seven other facilities in the Yale New Haven Health system are now among a small group of health systems across the country to receive the American College of Emergency Physicians' Health System Geriatric Emergency Department accreditation designating the eight facilities as senior friendly.

The Westerly Hospital Emergency Department saw 11,234 individuals who were 65 or older in 2021 which accounted for 56% of the hospital's emergency department volume. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, slightly more than 23% of Westerly's population is at least 65. The demographics in Washington and New London counties are similar but both have slightly lower percentages of adults who are 65 or older.

To earn the accreditation staff and emergency department leads at Westerly Hospital and the other facilities underwent training to sharpen their focus on the physiological differences between seniors and other patients. Clinicians in the Emergency Department also learned about and have begun to use the Confusion Assessment Method screening tool for delirium. The tool helps clinicians determine whether a patient is presenting with traits associated with normal aging, dementia, or delirium, which can signal "a new onset illness," said Niki Akaka, a registered nurse and clinical coordinator, during a recent interview at Westerly Hospital.

The Confusion Assessment Method involves clinicians asking patients more than 65 questions. Determining whether a patient is experiencing delirium caused by an underlying ailment can be critical, said Bethany Gingerella, Westerly Hospital nurse manager. "If the result of the screening tool is positive for delirium we dig a little deeper to see if there is an infection that we might not be seeing," Gingerella said.

With individuals 85 and older expected to increasingly make up a major segment of those treated in emergency departments, Dr. Nader Bahadory, medical director of the Westerly Hospital Emergency Department, said physicians and other medical providers look to educate each other on health challenges seniors face.

"They are a special population because their physiology is a little different. There has been a realization at least for a few years that we need to figure out their physiology because we tend to miss subtle things among these elderly patients...they can get really sick fast and it's often a very subtle beginning," Bahadory said.

To attain the accreditation the hospital also worked on establishing an optimal environment for seniors by ensuring room lights can be dimmed to improve vision and reduce anxiety. The facility also ensured an adequate number of walkers and canes are available, and dietary staff were asked to help develop meals that are likely to appeal to seniors. "Eating is a big thing with them. We don't want them not to eat when they are with us," Gingerella said.

Amplification devices are available for doctors and nurses working with seniors whose hearing is diminished and magnifying devices are available for seniors who need the assistance for reading. Clinicians also consult with hospital pharmacists to check for potential problems tied to drug interactions.

In all, the Geriatric Emergency Department program provides specific criteria and goals for emergency clinicians and administrators to target. The accreditation process provides more than two dozen best practices for geriatric care. The goal is successful treatment, returning seniors to their homes, and determining whether they need new support, Bahadory said

As part of the accreditation process the hospitals are auditing charts and sending data to the American College of Emergency Physicians for review and recommendations.

The other facilities in the Yale system to receive the accreditation are Lawrence + Memorial in New London, Pequot Health Center in Groton, Bridgeport (Milford and Bridgeport campuses), Greenwich, Yale New Haven (York Street and Saint Raphael campuses) and Shoreline Medical Center in Guilford.

The designation has been awarded to just 13 health systems nationwide.

Each year in the United States, adults aged 50 years and older make more than 40 million visits to an emergency department, according to a news release from Yale New Haven Health.

"We know that older people seeking care in the emergency department have unique needs to address symptoms and requirements that are specific to their age group, said Dr. Ula Hwang, professor of Emergency Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and an attending physician at Yale New Haven Hospital. "Through this accreditation process our providers are trained to look for signs and symptoms of syndromes and illness in the elderly that could be potentially life threatening if left untreated.

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Westerly Hospital earns accreditation for services in emergency elderly care - The Westerly Sun