Older peoples' experience of accessing emergency care

Abstract

Background: Older ED users are more likely to be seriously ill, arrive by ambulance, spend more time in ED and require hospital admission. The aim of this study was to describe older people's experiences of accessing Emergency Department (ED) care. Methods: A descriptive approach was used. The study sites were three EDs in Victoria, Australia. Participants were ED patients aged 65 years or over and able to give informed consent. Observation of participants and care-givers and follow-up interviews were conducted from September to November 2008. Participant demographics were summarised using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis was used to analyse observation and interview data. Result..