Supporting Clinical Services

Geriatric Emergency Multidisciplinary Service (GEMS)

GEMS is a Monday to Friday service, based in the Emergency Department working with people aged 75 years and older. During our working time we aim to screen everyone for frailty. People living with frailty may have a holistic assessment called a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). This includes a review of medications, home set up and social supports, mobility and functional independence, cognitive abilities, swallowing and communication, nutrition, mood and sleep.

Key Services

GEMS stands for Geriatric Emergency Multidisciplinary Service. GEMS is an expansion of the Frailty Intervention Therapy Team which was implemented in 2017 with the aim to improve the care of older adults in the Emergency Department (ED).  The service has expanded to include medical staff who are specialists in geriatric care. GEMS is made up of the following;

• Consultant Geriatrician
• Specialist Geriatric Registrar
• Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist
• Clinical Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
• Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist
• Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Advanced Nurse Practitioner
• Administrative Officer

What do we aim to achieve?

Our main goals are to:

1)      Facilitate a safe discharge from the ED of people living with frailty when appropriate

2)      Decrease the length of stay for those who are medically admitted to hospital

3)      Improve the hospital experience for people

What is Frailty?

Frailty is commonly seen in older adults but is not exclusive to this population. Becoming frail is not a normal part of the ageing process. Someone living with frailty has a reduced ability to respond or bounce back from an illness. They are at an increased risk of poorer health outcomes and to develop more health complications. A person living with frailty is at greater risk of falling and will require more hospitalisations that someone who is not. Frailty can be managed like any other chronic disease and can even be reversed.

GEMS Vision

The vision and aim of GEMS is to improve the care and experience for older people presenting to the Emergency Department.

The core values are:

• Quality Care
• Comfort and Compassion
• Trust, Engagement and Shared decision-making, ‘What Matters Most.’

Our goal is to support your discharge home, reduce length of stay and the likelihood of readmission.