Injury-Related Emergency Department Presentations Among Residential Aged Care Residents in Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to quantify and describe the characteristics of emergency department (ED) injury presentations and subsequent hospital admissions among residents of residential aged-care facilities (RACFs) in Victoria, Australia between 2008 and 2018. Methods This study comprised a single jurisdiction population-based study of consecutive injury-related ED presentations of RACFs residents using the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD). Results The rate of ED injury presentations per 100,000 population decreased by .8% per year over 10 years ( P = .03); however, the rate per 100,000 RACF bed days increased by .6% per year ( P = .05). The proportion of presentations subsequently admitted to hospital increased 4.0% per year ( P<.0001). The majority of presentations were due to falls (82.5%), with fracture(s) being the most common injury type (34.0%). Discussion The increased rate of ED visits and hospital admissions in RACFs residents highlights the need to design specialized emergency care services and/or provide better direct access to hospital care for this vulnerable population.