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Wagga Wagga Base Hospital: Geriatric Evaluation & Management (GEM) Unit – The first four hundred patients

Cristy Rowe, Thomas Stackpool, Paul Finucane

Introduction

The Geriatric Evaluation & Management (GEM) Unit at WWBH opened in 2016 and has treated over 400 patients to date. The Unit was established to manage elderly patients with complex medical, functional and often cognitive problems.

Methodology

Basic de-identified demographic data was systematically collected on each patient on admission and discharge from the GEM unit. The key information collated includes gender, age, source of referral, length of stay on the Unit, and discharge destination.

Results

The first 400 patients admitted had a mean age of 83.1 yrs (range 65-107yrs) and the mean length of stay is 8.3 days (range: 1-55 days). 97% of those admitted survived to discharge.  53% returned directly to home; 29% to a step-down facility and 12% to a nursing home. 

Conclusion

This initial analysis of patient data provides a foundation for future research on hospital care and patient outcomes within the GEM Unit.

November, 2020
10.37912/WaggaJOM.0201.28

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