Geriatric Education for Emergency Medical Services (GEMS)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans aged 65 and over comprise 15 percent of the population but account for nearly 40 percent of ambulance transports. This is not surprising given that older adults experience more chronic conditions, multiple diseases, and polypharmacy issues than the rest of the population. Yet despite EMS practitioners’ experience in the field, research shows that geriatric trauma patients are often undertriaged to trauma centers.

High-quality geriatric-specific education can make a difference. With the right text, EMS practitioners can gain a deeper understanding of how the body ages, how multiple medications can create or exacerbate emergencies, how certain communication techniques can improve assessments, and more. Armed with new knowledge, EMS professionals can learn how to give older patients in their community better emergency care and an improved quality of life.

The third edition of Geriatric Education for Emergency Medical Services is authored by experts in the field, reviewed by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), and endorsed by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT). Comprehensive and updated, the new edition addresses the National EMS Education Standards in 15 chapters—covering communication, assessment, trauma, respiratory and cardiovascular emergencies, medication toxicity, elder abuse, and much more.

The third edition provides even greater value:

- New guidance on how to conduct a comprehensive geriatric assessment
- New education on how to correctly triage older patients and transport them to the appropriate level of care
- New updates to medications and dosages throughout the book, updates to ILCOR guidelines, the inclusion of COVID-19 considerations, and more

Unique in prehospital geriatric education, Geriatric Education for Emergency Medical Services engages EMS personnel in the complexities of geriatric care and prepares them with the updated guidance they need to successfully assess and care for their older patients.

Chapter 1 Aging
Chapter 2 Changes with Age
Chapter 3 Communication
Chapter 4 Assessment of the Older Patient
Chapter 5 Psychosocial Aspects of Aging
Chapter 6 Death and Dying
Chapter 7 Trauma
Chapter 8 Respiratory Emergencies
Chapter 9 Cardiovascular Emergencies
Chapter 10 Neurological Emergencies
Chapter 11 Other Medical Emergencies
Chapter 12 Pharmacology and Medication Toxicity
Chapter 13 Elder Abuse
Chapter 14 Mobile Integrated Healthcare
Chapter 15 Elderly in Disasters