Featured Expert:
Johns Hopkins geriatrician Stephanie Nothelle recaps her research comparing the emergency department (ED) length of stay among adults age 65 and older with and without dementia. Independent of dementia status, a longer ED length of stay is associated with a higher risk of medication errors, development of delirium, and death. The study of more than 1 million ED visits found that adults 65 and older with dementia had a mean length of stay that was 3.1 hours longer than their counterparts without dementia. These results highlight the need for more attention and investigation regarding care of older adults with dementia in the ED.