Lightning Learning: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment
“Here’s a quick starter’s guide on using the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) in the ED.”
What?
The CGA (Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment) is a single assessment process for the older person. It looks at several aspects of the person's life using the multidisciplinary team:
Medical
Mental health (including cognition)
Social and home environment
Functional capacity
Can be completed in the ED area by the PCCs with input from a MOE consultant, as well as therapy staff.
Why?
CGA aims to promote independence in the individual, while also reducing admission/length of stay.
Older patients who don't require a prolonged stay in hospital (less than 24 hours) can be admitted to EDU on the EFU pathway.
They should be a medically stable non cardiac patient with a NEWS <2 and investigations should be around patients baseline.
They will get comparable care to AFU, but allows AFU beds to be utilised by the more complex older patient.
Further Reading
- Oxford University Press: A Controlled Evaluation of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in the Emergency Department – the ‘Emergency Frailty Unit’ (2013)
- British Geriatrics Society: Comprehensive Assessment of the Frail Older Patient
- #LeicGEM: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment course module
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust: Emergency Frailty Unit (EFU) pathway
