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Geriatric
Evaluation & Management Unit
As pressure has grown to increase the turnover of acute beds,
the Geriatric Evaluation & Management (GEM) Unit has become
a key resource of restorative transitional care that many
older, more disabled patients require before discharge to
the community. To achieve this goal, the GEM provides many
services, including physical and nutritional rehabilitation,
speech therapy, evaluation of swallowing disorders, completion
of prolonged medical regimens, treatment of affective disorders,
development of strategies for dealing with geriatric syndromes,
restoration of skin integrity, prevention of polypharmacy,
and comprehensive discharge planning.
The GEM is also an increasingly important resource for older
patients who require services that cannot reasonably be obtained
on an outpatient basis yet do not require admission to an
acute-care bed. Examples of this usage include frail patients
requiring evaluation of multiple problems who are very difficult
to transport to and from clinics, as well as situations where
clients and caregivers are not capable of performing outpatient
preparation for diagnostic procedures, such as colonoscopy.
Currently located at Unit 3C in the Eugene J. Towbin Healthcare
Center in North Little Rock, the GEM serves as an important
source of patients for clinical research protocols designed
to facilitate restoration of muscle mass and strength.
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