Gems

[JJR512]

Geriatric Education for Emergency Medical Services (GEMS)
Instructional Hours: 12

Objective: To provide the student with the knowledge and skills required to successfully assess and manage a geriatric patient in the pre-hospital environment.

Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to discuss the social aspects of aging; explain the special needs of older patients and the changes that the aging process brings about in physical structure, body composition and organ function; discuss and recognize communication challenges in the older person and describe principles that should be employed when assessing and communicating with an older patient; discuss the appropriate management of a terminally ill older patient; compare the assessment of the older person with that of a younger adult patient; discuss the assessment and management trauma, respiratory distress, chest pain, neurological emergencies, psychiatric emergencies, and other medical emergencies in the older adult; discuss physiological changes in older people; define and recognize the signs and symptoms of elder abuse or neglect; and discuss the role of the prehospital professional as an advocate for the older adult.
Instruction: Major topics covered in the course are aging, changes with age, communicating with older people and their caregivers, assessment of the older patient, end of life care issues, trauma, musculoskeletal disorders and falls, immobilization, neurological emergencies and altered mental status, respiratory and cardiovascular emergencies, elder abuse and neglect, pharmacology and medication toxicity, psychiatric emergencies and intravenous therapy. Methods of instruction include case-based lectures, classroom exercise, case study, live action audio/visual material, hands-on skills stations, pretest, small group scenarios, and a final examination.

I've registered for this class because, working on a commercial BLS ambulance, most of the patients I see are older people going one way or the other between a hospital and a nursing home/assisted living facility. I'm not exactly sure what I'm expecting to get out of the class, but I'm sure I'll get something useful out of it.

I'm wondering if any of you have taken this class and what you think about it?

This class is listed under the ALS section of the classes for volunteer firefighters/EMTs in Maryland, but I was told it's mostly stuff you don't actually need to be an ALS provider to understand. ALS providers are given preference when registering, and any seats left open can go to any BLS providers who want in; I was told to go ahead and register because there's never a surplus of ALS providers wanting to be in this class.

 

[Grady_emt]

I have taken the class here in GA, and I can tell you that ours was great. It covers alot of information, socio-economic issues, geriatric medicine, how to talk to and assess the elderly pt, lotsa good stuff, highly reccomend it for anyone who runs on elderly folks 911 or IFT.

 

[JJR512]

And do you agree that it should be understandable to an EMT-B?

 

[Grady_emt]

Yes, the majority of it should be until they start getting into the patho-physiology of some geriatric specific diseases. Its great for teaching you how to talk to elderly patients who may be afraid of the unit or hospital since when they were young, the hospital was only for dying. But yes, it is a very good class.