Caring for the older person in the emergency department : The ASET program and the role of the ASET clinical nurse consultant in South Western Sydney, Australia

As the population ages, there will be an ongoing and increasing use of the emergency department by frail older members of the community. The older person presenting to the emergency department has a high risk of adverse outcomes, including death, functional decline, and institutionalization. Appropriate care of the frail older person presents many challenges to staff in the emergency department, as well as to health service planners and managers who are responsible for structures and resources allocated to this important population of health care consumers.