Tag #Er Boarding

What are the immediate consequences of "ER boarding" for patients with dementia, and how prevalent is this problem?

ER boarding," the prolonged wait in emergency rooms for hospital admission, disproportionately affects older adults with dementia. One in six hospital admissions in 2022 involved a four-hour or longer ER wait, with 50% of those being patients 65 and older. This results in significant distress for patients and their families, as illustrated by the cases of Bill Speer and Michael Reeman, both of whom experienced extended waits and subsequent negative impacts on their health and well-being.