Do gerontology nurse specialists make a difference in hospitalization of long-term care residents? Results of a randomized comparison trial.

Residents of long-term care facilities have highly complex care needs and quality of care is of international concern. Maintaining resident wellness through proactive assessment and early intervention is key to decreasing the need for acute hospitalization. The Residential Aged Care Integration Program (RACIP) is a quality improvement intervention to support residential aged care staff and includes on-site support, education, clinical coaching, and care coordination provided by gerontology nurse specialists (GNSs) employed by a large district health board.

Emergency department case-finding for high-risk older adults: the Brief Risk Identification for Geriatric Health Tool (BRIGHT).

Objective: The objective was to test the ability of the Brief Risk Identification for Geriatric Health Tool (BRIGHT) to identify older emergency department (ED) patients with functional and physical impairment.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which 139 persons > or = 75 years, who presented to an urban New Zealand ED over a 12-week period, completed the 11-item BRIGHT case-finding tool. Then, within 10 days of their index ED visit, 114 persons completed a comprehensive geriatric assessment.