Carol Robertson is an advanced clinical practitioner and paramedic. She works at East Cheshire NHS Trust within the older persons' assessment & liaison (OPAL) team following a long career with the North West Ambulance Service. She holds an MSc in Advance Clinical Practice including a module in Care of the Older Frail Adult. She contributed two chapters, Delirium and Dementia and Older People to Mental Health Care in Paramedic Practice by Ursula Rolfe and David Partlow. Duncan Robertson is an experienced paramedic leader who has worked in a number of roles within UK ambulance services. He started his career in Greater Manchester (North West Ambulance Service), moving to the Welsh Ambulance Services University Trust in 2018 as Consultant Paramedic. He is currently the Chief Paramedic Officer for South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust where he started in September 2024. Duncan was one of the team that contributed to the 2017 JRCALC chapter on Falls in Older Adults and undertook a qualitative study on frailty as part of his Master's in Clinical Research dissertation.
Description
Older adults increasingly represent a significant portion of urgent, emergency, and ambulance service calls, making it more important than ever to foster a deeper understanding of older patients' needs. Urgent and Emergency Care of the Older Person addresses the critical gap in prehospital education concerning the care of older patients, and demonstrates the principles underpinning improvements to the provision of care using the multidisciplinary team approach. A range of specialist authors provide the necessary knowledge, skills, and guidance for prehospital professionals, community clinicians, and advanced practitioners, emphasising a holistic, person-centred approach. It challenges stereotypes, urges clinicians to see beyond age and adapt communication and care strategies to individual needs and circumstances. Topics include ageing theories, frailty, common clinical scenarios, and the latest best practices to prepare paramedics and prehospital clinicians for the multifaceted nature of caring for the older person. Key features include: Case studies and targeted questions, to support clinicians in applying their knowledge to practice Aligned to key national health and social care priorities An ideal companion text for both undergraduate students and registered paramedics as well as specialists paramedics in frailty services or those working within the community such as primary care or Urgent Crisis Response teams In line with current UK guidelines and research