# Safely Caring for the Agitated Older Adult in the Emergency Department

About This Podcast

Dementia is highly prevalent among older adults. One in three older adults over the age of 85 have dementia, but only 50% of these cases are documented. Dementia also puts the patient at higher risk of developing delirium while in the Emergency Department. All this leads to a greater likelihood that older adults in our EDs may have some agitation whether due to confusion, delirium, pain, or an underlying dementia.

Dr. Christina Shenvi and Dr. Maura Kennedy sit down to answer the question: How can we safely and affectively manage patients who have agitation, delirium or at risk of hurting themselves or others?

Play the Episode

https://youtu.be/220lCGxrgA4

Key points

Identifying the underlying cause of the agitation and treat the cause rather than the symptom.

Invest a bit of time getting a collateral history to determine if the agitated patient has dementia to save time in the long run.

Dementia is highly prevalent (1 in 5 over 80 and 1 in 3 over 85) and under documented (only 50% of cases). Always get collateral history or screen for cognitive impairment with your older adult patients.

TOOLKIT | May 20, 2020

Emergency Department Care of Individuals Who Have Dementia

This GEDC toolkit contains resources that can help you make changes in your ED to provide better care for patients with dementia.

Explore Toolkit

PODCAST | December 12, 2021

Dementia Care in the ED

Dr. Shenvi and Dr. Binkley discuss what’s at risk when we don’t care for these patients well in the ED, and how to do better.

Listen Now

WEBINAR | September 14, 2020

Dementia in the Geriatric Emergency Department

Morgan Daven, Dr. Adam Perry, Dr. Chris Carpenter, Dr. Linda Schnitker, Dr. Michelle Moccia and Pamela Martin discuss quality care for older adults with dementia in the ED.

Watch Webinar

References

JACEP open narrative summary of agitation in older adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33145525/

Antipsychotic and sedative use in older adults: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34820831/

Delirium in COVID-19 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33211114/)

Next, listen to Creating a Geriatric Emergency Department with Dr. Don Melady and Dr. John Schumacher.

Play Episode

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