As the community ages, Coral Gables Hospital is adapting to accommodate the needs of patients by opening a new Senior Care Emergency Room.
The Senior Care ER at Coral Gables Hospital, which offers focused care for senior patients, is outfitted with technology and equipment to increase patient comfort and provide greater aid for those patients with visual or hearing impairments.
Coral Gables Hospital has joined forces with NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders), which is a national program to improve care for older hospitalized adults. Among the first phases of the program, Coral Gables Hospital nurses and emergency room physicians participated in additional specialized training to care for the elderly.
“Our goal is to continue to offer our patients the most personalized care possible,” said Coral Gables Hospital CEO Jeffrey M. Welch. “This new service will allow us to offer our senior patients an enhanced hospital experience.”
The new Senior Care ER rooms are newly renovated to provide a more comforting emergency room experience for senior patients. Some of the highlights include: new slip resistant wood flooring, softer lighting, landscape/ artwork lighting, thicker mattresses, handrails and more. Additionally, Coral Gables Hospital has fulltime patient liaisons who will oversee patient experiences.
NICHE has been implemented in more than 270 hospitals nationwide and in Canada. NICHE was created in recognition of the aging of hospital patients, the ongoing national shortage of nurses trained in gerontology, and the need for hospitals to contain costs while improving patients’ healthcare experience.
