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For Immediate Release For Further Information EMS PROVIDERS NEED BETTER TRAINING New York, NY-One out of three times when the bell rings for emergency medical services providers the call involves a person over 60 years of age. But the one million personnel who are called "first responders" have, until now, received less than one percent of their training on treating the elderly. The current state of affairs in geriatric training for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Providers is "woefully lax," according to leading experts in geriatric medicine. Dr. Colleen Christmas, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, says the problem is critical since the numbers of emergency calls involving older people are likely to rise significantly over the next ten years. "And, as we live longer, the patients are likely to be older, sicker and have more complicating conditions. Emergency responders are going to have to be very adept at recognizing serious medical problems in the elderly," she adds. It is estimated that some 3.4 million, or 34 percent, of all calls for emergency medical services involve older patients. The rising pressure on our emergency medical system is of growing concern as the nation's 76 million baby boomers near retirement age. In just 30 years, 70 million Americans-one-fifth of the population-will be older than age 65. But now the American Geriatrics Society, the medical society that represents geriatric physicians and other specialists that treat the aged, has joined with the National Council of State EMS Training Coordinators, emergency medicine physicians and EMS trainers, to establish a new national continuing education curriculum called the GEMS program, or Geriatric Education for Emergency Medical Services. Training responders on how to handle cases involving older adults is crucial, because as Dr. Christmas notes, "Geriatric patients present differently than younger people. An EMS provider may respond and be told by the patient that he or she is feeling tired and weak. The provider has to be really incisive about these vague symptoms since they could be signs of a massive heart attack." "We have to remember," she added, "more and more often, geriatric patients are admitted to the hospital after an emergency call because they are very sick. EMS responders have to take them seriously and learn enough about their physiology not to underestimate their symptoms." According to the AGS, first responders must be aware of the complexities of treating older people or they may not take correct action. Communications are particularly important and EMS providers will need to recognize symptoms of drug interaction, dementia, elder abuse, and heart disease, all common problems among older people. Dr. Christmas also described patients who, because of a cardiac episode or a stroke, may appear to be suffering from dementia. "We can't make assumptions," she added, "geriatric patients may appear confused because of their disease, not because they are old." David Snyder, a paramedic and editor of the GEMS program adds, "EMS providers respond daily not only to the acute medical needs of older people, but to their social, environmental, and psychological problems as well. The GEMS program will help the pre-hospital care professional to identify what the needs of older patients are, and how to effectively manage their care." The program will be introduced in eight locations throughout the nation during 2003. Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence and quality of life of all older people. The Society supports this mission in many ways through activities in: clinical practice; professional education on the clinical care of older people; research; public education and information; public policy efforts; and by collaborative relationships with other organizations.
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