The Geriatric Emergency Management (GEM) Nurse Program provides specialized geriatric emergency management services to older adults living with complex health conditions (and their care partners) in the hospital Emergency Department (ED).
GEM Nurses are are advanced practice nurses with specialized training in gerontological nursing, and are located at various hospital Emergency Departments across the Central East Region.
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GEM Nurses build strong networks and partnerships in the community to further support older adults and their care partners after they leave the hospital to return home.​​
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​There are currently nine GEM Nurses working at nine hospital locations within the Region, including:
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Peterborough Regional Health Centre, Peterborough
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Ross Memorial Hospital, Lindsay
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Northumberland Hills Hospital, Cobourg
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Lakeridge Health:
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Ajax-Pickering Campus, Ajax
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Bowmanville Campus
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Oshawa Campus
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Scarborough Health Network:
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Birchmount Campus, Scarborough
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Centenary Campus, Toronto
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General Campus, Scarborough
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GEM Nurses provide targeted, emergency geriatric assessment and interventions to older adults and their care partners in the ED, and connect them with community services and supports to better meet their health needs.
Program Goal
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The goal of the GEM Nurse Program is to deliver emergency comprehensive geriatric assessment (eCGA) and interventions to older adults and their care partners in the Emergency Department, in order to:
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connect them with community services and resources that better meet their health needs; and
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enhance their independence and quality of life.
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Further, GEM nurses strive to build geriatric and senior-friendly care capacity in the hospital Emergency Department and local community partners, through collaboration, knowledge transfer, and education opportunities.
Meeting the Need
Older adults represent as many as 30% of the patients seen in hospital Emergency Departments, more than any other age group. Health complexity and risks for rapid functional decline during a hospital visit can make Emergency Department visits a life changing experience for older adults and their care partners. By providing specialized geriatric services from a GEM Nurse in the Emergency Department, decline and loss of independence can often be prevented.