How Should Assisted Living Be Using Emergency Departments?

In the United States (US), residential long-term care is provided in nursing homes and assisted living (AL) communities. Regardless of the type of care setting, long-term care residents are at increased risk of transfer to the emergency department (ED) and for subsequent hospitalization.1 Given the iatrogenic risks that hospitalization poses to older adults, as well as the costs associated with these transfers, there is considerable interest in ways to understand this process and improve outcomes by reducing such transfers.