Key points in healthcare of frail elders in the Emergency Department

Patients older than 65 years are increasingly attended in the Emergency Department (ED). This means that internists working in ED are responsible for improving their geriatric training. The frail elders are the one who have the higher probability to suffer an adverse event. The detection of this profile is very important for making a decision in ED. A possible geriatric emergency model would be the one that screens frailty among all patients older than 65 years old in ED by nurses, and, in those triaged as of high risk, a geriatric assessment must be done by a geriatric trained doctor or nurse. All this information will be helpful for the final location and discharge follow-up plan. (C) 2012 Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.