Patient safety in elderly care

Patient safety is the foundation of good patient care. Elder population is growing worldwide. Consequently, the population of hospitalized patients is aging as well. The care of geriatric patients must differ from the care of younger adults. Elderly patients are vulnerable to medical errors. Common medical errors in the elderly, such as falls, medication errors, can contribute to the prolonged hospital stay, readmission, nursing home placement and compromise return to independent living in the community. Many recommendations for effective safety practices have been suggestedby the Institute of Medicine, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and World Health Organization .These recommendations can be applied to geriatrics. These recommendations include detecting and reporting of medical errors in the elderly, identifying system failures when medical errors occur, improving the continuity of care. As a result, there is a strong link between patient safety and geriatrics. Safe geriatric care can be achieved by implementing safety recommendations. Health professionals should realize that patient safety is critical for improving the quality of geriatric care.