A new consult service is now available for inpatients at Nebraska Medical Center. The geriatric medicine service team is offering consults for older adults to help address new or pre-existing functional or cognitive problems that may have contributed to or are complicating a hospital admission.
“Older adults are often vulnerable when admitted to the hospital, either due to a prior recognized or unrecognized medical problem or due to the severity of their illness,” said Al Fisher, MD, PhD, chief of the UNMC Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Medicine.
Among the issues the Geriatrics team can assist with include:
- Evaluation of falls;
- Prevention and management of inpatient delirium ;
- Addressing concerns about baseline cognition and pre-existing dementia;
- Addressing concerns about patient self-care abilities and abilities;
- Decision-making capacity;
- Addressing polypharmacy (where medications can lead to some of the symptoms driving an admission); and
- Helping patients decide on long-term care options.
“Most importantly, we provide proactive care to high-risk seniors, such as those who live in a nursing home or have known dementia, to reduce the potential hazards of hospitalization,” Dr. Fisher said.
The treating provider can request a consult in One Chart. For more information, please contact Dr. Fisher.
This is wonderful news to hear! Our Geriatric team is so valuable to the state of Nebraska.