5-day clinics to treat falls could ease trolley crisis, says researcher

The country’s trolley crisis could be eased significantly if more hospitals opened five-day clinics and help prevent older people from falls, according to a researcher.

Rose Anne Kenny, professor of medical gerontology at Trinity College Dublin, said she has already met with Minister for Older People Helen McEntee to discuss how such a service could be rolled out and will meet with Health Minister Simon Harris shortly to discuss the proposal.

The publication yesterday of the latest findings from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) shows that 40% of older adults had experienced a fall since the last wave of data was published in 2014. The study states: “20% sustained an injurious fall necessitating hospital attendance — this equates to 60,000 people per year in Ireland.”