Development of a Functional Status Assessment of Seniors Visiting the Emergency Department

The scientific literature has documented the importance of assessing seniors who visit the emergency department in order to plan for their future needs. In this study, we described the development of an assessment tool designed specifically for this clientele. Using the information gathered, the person conducting the assessment can make recommendations of the types of referrals and monitoring that should be provided.

We used various sources of information to identify aspects of functional status that are most important to assess in the emergency department. These sources of information included a review of the scientific literature, a survey of licensed occupational therapists in Quebec, and interviews with key informants (professionals working in emergency departments).

Assessments of seniors' functional status will help the teams treating them to better determine what referrals and resources they will require at discharge.  For older clients in emergency departments, this process can lead to a safer return home and increased satisfaction with the services received.

This project was conducted as part of Ms. Veillette's doctoral research. While she was carrying it out, her first objective was to offer better services to seniors during their emergency department visits.

Now that this study has been completed, Nathalie plans to take further steps to have the tool implemented in various emergency departments. She will also be focusing on her new job as a professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.