Emergency calls from care homes are often made too quickly. Let's look at what really helps your residents.
Emergency calls from care homes are often made too quickly. Let's look at what really helps your residents.
Did you know that many emergency ambulance trips from care homes could actually be avoided if medical help was available right on-site? Studies clearly show just how much of a positive difference in-person care can make for residents—even when it comes to the comforting choice of where they spend their final days.
Did you know that many emergency ambulance trips from care homes could actually be avoided if medical help was available right on-site? Studies clearly show just how much of a positive difference in-person care can make for residents—even when it comes to the comforting choice of where they spend their final days.
Dr Ibrahim Amir · 24 August 2026 · 3 min read
Dr Ibrahim Amir · 24 August 2026 · 3 min read
When someone in a care home suddenly takes a turn for the worse, calling emergency services is often the quickest route. This is completely understandable, of course, but it isn't always the best option. International studies show that a portion of these trips to the emergency department could have been avoided if medical help had been available on-site. Read on to find out what this means for residents, their loved ones, and the care teams.
Why do care home residents end up in the emergency department so frequently?
A systematic review analysed 77 studies on transfers from care homes to emergency departments. Depending on the study and the definition used, between 4 and 55 per cent of these transfers were classified as inappropriate [1]. While the range is wide due to differing methodologies in each study, the trend is clear: a significant proportion of these journeys could be avoided.
The review identifies medical availability, both during and after regular working hours, as a central obstacle [1]. If no one is available to assess a situation on-site, the nursing staff are often left with no choice but to call emergency services. This is not due to overzealousness, but rather a sense of responsibility.
What difference does on-site medical care make?
The figures from the same systematic review are clear. A programme shifting medical care directly into the care home reduced emergency department presentations by 17 per cent and hospital admissions by 37 per cent [1]. Improved medical integration with continuous care reduced transfers overall by 34 per cent. The structured INTERACT programme lowered avoidable admissions by 15 per cent, without altering the overall number of hospital visits.
One finding goes beyond mere statistics: of those residents with the best-integrated primary care, 5 per cent died in hospital, compared to 14 to 27 per cent of those receiving standard care [1]. For many individuals, this represents the precise difference between spending their final hours in an unfamiliar environment and remaining in their accustomed room.
Why medication lists require regular review
Residents in care homes are frequently prescribed multiple medications. Structured medication reviews are therefore well-researched [2], and when residents and their relatives are involved in the decision-making process, specific medications can be successfully discontinued [3]. In the interest of accuracy, it must be noted that there is as yet no conclusive scientific evidence that this definitively improves hard endpoints such as falls or mortality. What does emerge, however, is an improved suitability of the therapy.
Why do care home residents end up in the emergency department so frequently?
A systematic review analysed 77 studies on transfers from care homes to emergency departments. Depending on the study and the definition used, between 4 and 55 per cent of these transfers were classified as inappropriate [1]. While the range is wide due to differing methodologies in each study, the trend is clear: a significant proportion of these journeys could be avoided.
The review identifies medical availability, both during and after regular working hours, as a central obstacle [1]. If no one is available to assess a situation on-site, the nursing staff are often left with no choice but to call emergency services. This is not due to overzealousness, but rather a sense of responsibility.
What difference does on-site medical care make?
The figures from the same systematic review are clear. A programme shifting medical care directly into the care home reduced emergency department presentations by 17 per cent and hospital admissions by 37 per cent [1]. Improved medical integration with continuous care reduced transfers overall by 34 per cent. The structured INTERACT programme lowered avoidable admissions by 15 per cent, without altering the overall number of hospital visits.
One finding goes beyond mere statistics: of those residents with the best-integrated primary care, 5 per cent died in hospital, compared to 14 to 27 per cent of those receiving standard care [1]. For many individuals, this represents the precise difference between spending their final hours in an unfamiliar environment and remaining in their accustomed room.
Why medication lists require regular review
Residents in care homes are frequently prescribed multiple medications. Structured medication reviews are therefore well-researched [2], and when residents and their relatives are involved in the decision-making process, specific medications can be successfully discontinued [3]. In the interest of accuracy, it must be noted that there is as yet no conclusive scientific evidence that this definitively improves hard endpoints such as falls or mortality. What does emerge, however, is an improved suitability of the therapy.
“The most important question in a care home isn't how quickly the ambulance arrives, but whether someone was there for you before you even had to call them.”
“The most important question in a care home isn't how quickly the ambulance arrives, but whether someone was there for you before you even had to call them.”
“The most important question in a care home isn't how quickly the ambulance arrives, but whether someone was there for you before you even had to call them.”
What does this mean for your facility?
The common denominator of all effective models is simple: there is a need for designated medical contact persons who know the facility and the residents, regular ward rounds instead of coincidental visits, and an accessible telephone number when acute situations arise. This is supplemented by medication reviews, wound management and clear coordination with the nursing team.
This is precisely how we, as a primary care centre, cooperate with several care homes in Vienna. You can see which facilities these are on our reference page. If you would like to discuss a care concept for your facility, please get in touch via the contact page.
When is admission to hospital still the correct course of action?
Whenever there is a genuine emergency. Suspected stroke or myocardial infarction, severe injury following a fall, acute dyspnoea or unconsciousness must immediately enter the rescue chain, emergency number 144. It is not about avoiding transfers, but rather avoiding the unnecessary ones.
What are the concrete benefits of a medication review?
It provides clarity. Preparations that mutually potentiate each other or whose therapeutic benefit is no longer present are identified. Together with the resident and their relatives, a decision is made regarding which medications are retained and which can be discontinued [3].
How does a cooperation begin?
With a consultation about your facility: size, nursing specialities, existing medical coverage, and the most pressing daily challenges. This forms the basis of a care concept tailored to your facility.
References
Image credits: Photographs of our partner facilities St. Carolusheim and Park Residenz Döbling.
What does this mean for your facility?
The common denominator of all effective models is simple: there is a need for designated medical contact persons who know the facility and the residents, regular ward rounds instead of coincidental visits, and an accessible telephone number when acute situations arise. This is supplemented by medication reviews, wound management and clear coordination with the nursing team.
This is precisely how we, as a primary care centre, cooperate with several care homes in Vienna. You can see which facilities these are on our reference page. If you would like to discuss a care concept for your facility, please get in touch via the contact page.
When is admission to hospital still the correct course of action?
Whenever there is a genuine emergency. Suspected stroke or myocardial infarction, severe injury following a fall, acute dyspnoea or unconsciousness must immediately enter the rescue chain, emergency number 144. It is not about avoiding transfers, but rather avoiding the unnecessary ones.
What are the concrete benefits of a medication review?
It provides clarity. Preparations that mutually potentiate each other or whose therapeutic benefit is no longer present are identified. Together with the resident and their relatives, a decision is made regarding which medications are retained and which can be discontinued [3].
How does a cooperation begin?
With a consultation about your facility: size, nursing specialities, existing medical coverage, and the most pressing daily challenges. This forms the basis of a care concept tailored to your facility.
References
Image credits: Photographs of our partner facilities St. Carolusheim and Park Residenz Döbling.
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