Older adults spending excess time in ED, putting hospitals at risk of failing to meet new guideline, analysis finds

Older adults spending excess time in ED, putting hospitals at risk of failing to meet new guideline, analysis finds 
McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 7/1/25 
A new national analysis of hospital data shows that older adults in the United States increasingly are spending more time in emergency departments (EDs) than federal guidelines recommend — delays that can be harmful to aging patients. The findings come as hospitals prepare to comply with new Medicare rules aimed at improving emergency care for older adults. ... Among patients who were admitted to the hospital, more than one-third (36%) waited more than three hours after the decision was made to admit them, a delay known as boarding. These benchmarks — eight hours in the ED and three hours to admission — are part of the new Age-Friendly Hospital Measure introduced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). As of January 2025, hospitals are required to confirm they have procedures in place to meet these time goals.