Emergency Rooms Get a Makeover for the Elderly

Emergency Rooms Made Just for the Elderly

Summary of the Article:

In traditional emergency rooms, the elderly do not feel as comfortable and often getting admitted again later on. Traditional Emergency Rooms are generally too chaotic for the elderly. In addition, since they treat various types of emergency ranging from gunshot wounds to a broken bone. By admitting too many different emergencies, the elders feel uncomfortable. In recent years, there has been an increase in geriatric emergency rooms all over the world. While traditional emergency rooms can help with heart attacks, falls, and more of the like, these geriatric ERs tries to find the cause and help prevent it at their home so that it will decrease their likelihood of returning. When it comes with older patients, they have a harder time recovering from illness than the younger patients. In most cases, they acquire infections at hospitals in traditional emergency rooms. To change that, the geriatric emergency rooms most likely have teams with advanced training, specifically in geriatrics. These individuals are trained to screen patients for depression, any impairments, and etc. 

How does this relate to Marketing?

Hospitals are now considering focusing their target market to one specific group of people, the elderly. Since the elderly have the most complications with their health, hospitals must consider separating them from the rest to ensure that they do not get sick from hospital-related infections. In addition, hospitals must consider the external environment of the patients. The traditional ERs often make elderly patients uncomfortable. To solve this problem, they put the elderly in an environment that is welcoming and comfortable so they will remember and probably go to that hospital more because of the feeling they get there. In addition, by making a geriatric emergency room, they are branding themselves as elderly friendly and that the staff is able to handle the patients with care and with the best care they could get. 

URL:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/emergency-rooms-get-a-makeover-for-the-elderly-11555898820