Local trends in older people presenting at an emergency department

Our data demonstrated that a proportion of presentations to the Emergency Department by older people could be reduced as many individuals did not require hospital admission. This would alleviate burden on the Emergency Department and potentially improve continuity of care and outcomes. Further research needs to explore the reasons that older people present to Emergency Departments rather than using other services and explore how primary care services can better meet these health needs. Additionally, educational strategies need to be implemented to improve consumer decision making about which health services they access and empower consumers to better manage their health.