Rochester Hill’s Crittenton Hospital Opens Senior Emergency Department

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Rochester Hills-based Crittenton Hospital Medical Center has created an emergency department that focuses specifically on the needs of seniors.

“Our goal is to enhance the care we provide to the growing senior population in our community,” says Glenn Garwood, director of emergency services at Crittenton. “We can better meet the needs of our older patients by offering this dedicated, senior-focused care environment.”

The new unit is staffed by a specially trained nursing team and offers eight private rooms that feature larger print items, softer lighting, soothing color schemes, non-slip flooring, bed alarms, and hearing assistive devices.

A total of 19.6 million annual emergency department visits in the United States are made by persons aged 65 and over, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Garwood says by enhancing the care experience for seniors, the hospital hopes to reduce the number of preventable hospitalizations, decrease length of stays, and reduce readmission rates.

Crittenton Hospital Medical Center is a 290-bed acute health care facility serving communities in Oakland, Macomb, and Lapeer counties. The hospital, which is a ministry of Ascension, the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S., employs nearly 500 physicians.