Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital has recently announced that they will be opening a dedicated A&E unit specifically for elderly patients over the age of 80. These patients make up one in seven of the hospital’s 350 A&E admissions every day.

The unit will be staffed by doctors, geriatricians and nurses who specialise in care for the elderly and who are trained in the unique needs of this age group. They will be able to deliver prompt and appropriate care straight away, without the patient waiting for a referral from the standard A&E department.

But why is this kind of unit necessary and what are the benefits for patients? Gary Ellis, Director of first aid training company, CE Safety, explained: “As a first aid training provider, we are very aware of the unique needs of elderly patients,” said Gary. “Things that we perhaps take for granted when treating younger patients, need to be done differently when your patient is older and more frail and the training needs to reflect that.”

“Many companies offer specific paediatric first aid courses, addressing the unique needs of children up to the age of eight, but few cover the other end of the age range in the same way.”

According to the Office for National Statistics, 18% of the population are now aged 65 or over and 2.5% are aged over 85, so there is a growing need for such care. With the population aging all the time, it may not be long before we see an official age-specific first aid qualification for elderly patients to match the paediatric certificates already on offer.

cesafety.co.uk