Older people and emergency bed use Exploring variation

                  FOUR principles to improve the delivery of care for older people.

• Choose to admit only those frail older people who have evidence of underlying lifethreatening illness or need for surgery. They should be admitted, as an emergency, to an acute bed.
• Provide early access to an old age acute care specialist, ideally within the first 24 hours, to set up the right management plan.
• Discharge to assess as soon as the acute episode is complete, in order to plan postacute care in the person’s own home.
• Provide comprehensive assessment and reablement during post-acute care to determine and reduce long-term care needs.

            http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/emergency_beds.html