ENH taking part in national elder care study

HEALTHCARE: Six Emergency Departments are testing an elder abuse care model.

 

Eastern Niagara Hospital is one of six hospitals across the nation, and the only hospital in New York state, now participating in a pilot program to address elder mistreatment through emergency departments.

The program, funded by a grant through the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, has ENH serving as one of six pilot sites in the U.S. to facilitate and study the feasibility of an Elder Mistreatment Emergency Department Care Model.

Physicians from UBMD Emergency Medicine and the ENH Emergency Department staff began implementing the core elements of the care model in the emergency department on Feb. 24. The model is under evaluation for a 12-month period.

The pilot program and care model were established by the National Collaboratory, which is led by the Education Development Center and comprised of experts in the subject of elder mistreatment from across the country.

Elder mistreatment can be defined as the abuse or neglect of an older adult by a person whom they trust. This includes physical, sexual or emotional abuse, neglect or exploitation.

National studies estimate that one in 10 older adults who experience elder mistreatment remain unrecognized or uncared for, since many of these individuals are less likely or able to seek help due to their impairments, isolation, or dependency on the caregiver who may be a perpetrator of the abuse.

The pilot program includes the implementation of an initial screening tool and follow-up assessment, as well as response protocols when victims are identified – including connecting patients to appropriate resources in the community, as needed.

One of the goals of the program is to develop best practices to improve screening tools, interventions and appropriate follow-up for older adults experiencing or at risk for mistreatment.

ENH's involvement with the pilot puts it "at the forefront of (an) impactful and far-reaching program," hospital President and CEO Anne McCaffrey said in a statement this week. "As the population of older adults increases, we feel compelled to implement new initiatives to ensure positive health outcomes for the elderly in our community.”

Statistics show that elder mistreatment is widely underreported and thus often goes untreated. That happens partly because healthcare professionals aren't always trained to identify signs of abuse or equipped to address it, according to Nora O'Brien-Suric, Health Foundation president.

“By implementing the Elder Mistreatment Care Model, the ENH Emergency Department care team will be better equipped to spot potential abuse and intervene with resources and support—an essential effort that will make a difference in the lives of many older adults in our community,” she said.

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ENH taking part in national elder care study