Clinical Nurse Manager / Specialist, Care Of The Older Person Frailty Intervention Team, Emergency Department

INFORMAL ENQUIRIES - Ms Allison Kennedy, Directorate Nurse Manager, Acute Neuroscience, Specialty and Rehabilitation Medicine. kennedya@mater.ie

The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (MMUH) is a Level 4 teaching hospital located in Dublin’s North Inner City. It offers a broad range of frontline and specialist services both regionally and nationally. In 2017, the Frailty at the Front Door service was established within the MMUH Emergency Department (ED), led by two Care of the Older Person Advanced Nurse Practitioner (COTOP ANP) candidates. This service was designed to provide advanced care for frail older adults presenting to the ED, enhancing the safety and accessibility of care. It was developed in alignment with the National Acute Medicine Programme, the Emergency Medicine Programme, and the National Clinical Programme for Older People. Since its inception, the service has expanded to include new frailty pathways. These include direct access to postacute care and rehabilitation beds offsite from the ED, preventing unnecessary admission to the Level 4 acute hospital when clinically appropriate. Additionally, the service facilitates referrals from the ED to early scheduled care in COTOP services, both within MMUH and community-based, ensuring safe and efficient discharge from the ED. In September 2020, the Frailty at the Front Door service evolved into the Frailty Intervention Team (FIT) within the MMUH ED. The team now provides care to older patients with frailty through a specialist, interdisciplinary approach