Brittany Ellis1,2,3, Don Melady3,4, Nicoda Foster5, Samir Sinha4,5, Vicki Lau5, Stephanie Saraga3,6, Shelley L McLeod3,4. 1. Saskatchewan Health Authority, Saskatoon, SK. 2. Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK. 3. Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON. 4. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON. 5. Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON. 6. Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The Maximizing Aging Using Volunteer Engagement in the Emergency Department (MAUVE + ED) program connects specially trained volunteers with older patients whose personal and social needs are not always met within the busy ED environment. The objective of this study was to describe the development and implementation of the MAUVE + ED program. METHODS: Volunteers were trained to identify and approach older patients at risk for adverse outcomes, including poor patient experience, and invite such patients to participate in the program. The program is available to all patients >65 years, and those with confusion, patients who were alone, those with mobility issues, and patients with increased length of stay in the ED. Volunteers documented their activities after each patient encounter using a standardized paper-based data collection form. RESULTS: Over the program's initial 6-month period, the MAUVE + ED volunteers reported a total of 896 encounters with 718 unique patients. The median time (interquartile range [IQR]) a MAUVE volunteer spent with a patient was 10 minutes (IQR = 5, 20), with a range of 1 to 130 minutes. The median number of patients seen per shift was 7 (IQR = 6, 9), with a range of 1 to 16 patients per shift. The most common activities the volunteer assisted with were therapeutic activities/social visits (n = 859; 95.9%), orientation activities (n = 501; 55.9%), and hydration assistance (n = 231; 25.8%). The least common were mobility assistance (n = 36; 4.0%), and vision/hearing assistance (n = 13; 1.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary data suggest the MAUVE + ED volunteers were able to provide additional care to older adults and their families/carers in the ED.
OBJECTIVES: The Maximizing Aging Using Volunteer Engagement in the Emergency Department (MAUVE + ED) program connects specially trained volunteers with older patients whose personal and social needs are not always met within the busy ED environment. The objective of this study was to describe the development and implementation of the MAUVE + ED program. METHODS: Volunteers were trained to identify and approach older patients at risk for adverse outcomes, including poor patient experience, and invite such patients to participate in the program. The program is available to all patients >65 years, and those with confusion, patients who were alone, those with mobility issues, and patients with increased length of stay in the ED. Volunteers documented their activities after each patient encounter using a standardized paper-based data collection form. RESULTS: Over the program's initial 6-month period, the MAUVE + ED volunteers reported a total of 896 encounters with 718 unique patients. The median time (interquartile range [IQR]) a MAUVE volunteer spent with a patient was 10 minutes (IQR = 5, 20), with a range of 1 to 130 minutes. The median number of patients seen per shift was 7 (IQR = 6, 9), with a range of 1 to 16 patients per shift. The most common activities the volunteer assisted with were therapeutic activities/social visits (n = 859; 95.9%), orientation activities (n = 501; 55.9%), and hydration assistance (n = 231; 25.8%). The least common were mobility assistance (n = 36; 4.0%), and vision/hearing assistance (n = 13; 1.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary data suggest the MAUVE + ED volunteers were able to provide additional care to older adults and their families/carers in the ED.
Authors: Anna Schneider; Dorothee Riedlinger; Mareen Pigorsch; Felix Holzinger; Johannes Deutschbein; Thomas Keil; Martin Möckel; Liane Schenk Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2021-07-21 Impact factor: 3.295