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Holy Cross Hospital is the first hospital in the nation to create an emergency room specifically tailored to serve a  growing senior population.
Opened in November 2008, the six-bay Holy Cross Hospital Seniors Emergency Center is a separate, enclosed area of the main Emergency Center that provides safe, efficient emergency services designed to meet the complex, uncertain needs of non-acute elderly patients and those who care for them.
During the developmental phase of this project, Holy Cross Hospital formed an advisory team of community seniors and worked closely with internationally renowned eldercare expert Bill H. Thomas, MD, and his team at The Erickson School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
The Holy Cross Hospital Seniors Emergency Center has a separate entrance just off the main waiting room and, in addition to the six curtained bays, includes a nursing station designed for increased visibility, two private patient rooms and a room for private family consultations. The environment was scientifically designed to reduce anxiety, confusion and risk of falling.
The Holy Cross Hospital Seniors Emergency Center features:
- Special senior-friendly lighting, soft colors and noise abatement features
- Hand rails
- Special flooring that reflects light in a way that makes missteps less likely
- Thicker mattresses to reduce pressure
- Blanket warmers
- Telephones with larger buttons
- Special pillow speakers to make listening to music or watching television more comfortable
In addition to physicians, the senior care team consists of staff dedicated to the Seniors Emergency Center including a geriatric nurse practitioner, registered nurses trained in geriatrics and a geriatric social worker. All provide high quality, competent and compassionate care in an environment that mitigates anxiety for the senior and his or her loved ones.
Before a patient leaves the Seniors Emergency Center, the team will assess that person's physical function, cognitive status, level of risk and then refer them to the appropriate level of care. This discharge process assures a seamless transition back to the home or other care setting and substantially lessens the probability of a return visit for the same health issue.
All patients will continue to be triaged upon coming to Holy Cross Hospital Emergency Center; about 75 percent of triaged seniors will meet the criteria for the Seniors Emergency Center.
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