Emergency Care for Seniors

Family caregivers, especially those with medical power of attorney (POA), should assemble a folder containing these 9 important medical details that can be easily handed off to nurses, doctors and first responders when seniors need emergency health care.

When a senior needs medical attention, consider the level of care they require and the immediacy of the need before deciding where to take them for treatment.

The growing popularity of senior emergency rooms is set to revolutionize emergency services for elderly. This geriatric wing of the ER is designed for the comfort and specialized treatment of seniors.

Every long-term care facility should have a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan in place. Be sure to ask your loved one’s senior living community how they handle emergency situations like hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods and fires.

When an elderly loved one winds up in the hospital, things happen so quickly that it can leave family members overwhelmed by their new roles as advocates and caregivers. Take these 7 steps to quickly get organized and better manage their care.

Falls are a common occurrence for seniors, so it’s important to know what to do after one occurs. Use these tips to get your elderly loved one back on their feet again without hurting them or yourself in the process.

Elder care is a continual learning process, but a few simple organization techniques can help you minimize caregiver stress and use your time and energy more efficiently.

Personal emergency response systems can be a life-saving addition to a senior’s care plan. Knowing that help is only a push of a button away can give the entire family invaluable peace of mind.

Deciding whether to use the emergency room, an urgent care clinic, or your physician during an urgent medical situation can be complicated. A new provider model has the potential to add even more confusion to your decision.

In many cases, a caregiver's health can be even more fragile than the patient's. If something were to happen to you, how would your loved one cope? Dementia caregivers especially need to have a backup plan in place for these scenarios.

Many nursing homes are not prepared for emergencies. A new government report shows that a startling number of nursing homes aren't adequately prepared for an emergency, such as a hurricane or a tornado.

When it comes to treating the elderly, not all emergency rooms are created equal, according to recent emergency room care rankings that have been released. The quality of emergency room care that a senior recieves often depends on which hospital they go to for treatment.

Emergency kits should include standard items like non-perishable food, water and first aid supplies. If you have an elderly or disabled relative living with or near you, there are additional considerations to make when it comes to disaster preparedness.

Recent research indicates that a large number of caregivers lack the basic knowledge necessary to handle an elder health emergency.

The month of April has seen a record high number of country-wide tornadoes. Accompanying these storms are the stories of harrowing situations and survival. Those who have endured the storms repeat the same refrain--be prepared.

It helps to look at aging as a potential fire; the chance of a major disaster is low, but you can still evaluate the potential risk areas and plan for unexpected crises with aging emergency 'fire drills.'