Creating a Geriatric-Focused Model of Care in Trauma With Geriatric Education

The literature suggests that by 2050, about 40% of all trauma patients will be over age 65 years. We already exceeded this prediction at Lehigh Valley Health Network in 2013, with 46.6% of the Pennsylvania trauma registry qualifiers being age 65 or greater, and 17.7% age 85 and greater. Currently, only 8.8% of trauma centers incorporate Geriatric Resource Programs into trauma care. Our trauma team has incorporated geriatric education for nurses by incorporating an educational nursing program called Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders, to improve outcomes, reduce hospital complications, and reduce health care costs for this high-risk population. The older adult population is on the rise and trauma nurses must be provided the tools to care for this high-risk patient group.