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Geriatric Emergency Medicine
In the Mater Emergency Medicine Department, we're working hard to improve care for older patients in our ED through clinical governance, education and advocacy. If you're interested in getting involved, contact Vinny Ramiah or Deirdre Breslin (ED Consultants) or our ANPs, Rico Laguna and Roisin Riches.
"We have opportunities for GEM clinical fellowships and specialist nursing role as well as senior HSCP positions. The service plans to grow and develop further links into the wider community and establish a dedicated geriatric zone on the acute floor"
At the Mater ED we have developed the largest front door frailty service in the country, comprising a multidisciplinary team helping to manage older frail patients who attend.
We are proud to have a dedicated Frailty Intervention Team (FIT) comprising advanced nurse practitioners, medical social workers, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dieticians, pharmacists and SLT based in the ED to improve and expedite older patients' care.
A consultant geriatrician works alongside a specialist geriatric emergency medicine registrar to provide medical care alongside the emergency medicine team.
We've developed specific pathways of care, including rapid ED or virtual follow-up following discharge with the frailty service. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment forms the backbone of the assessment but also integrates newer technologies such as the use of a finometer to assess for orthostatic hypotension. An integrated care team facilitate discharge of suitable patients from the ED. Direct access to a lower acuity geriatric off-suite unit in Fairview (PACU) or rehabilitation in St Marys Hospital or Clontarf orthopaedic units can be arranged with consultation. Rapid access clinics for falls and geriatric work-up operate in St. Mary's Hospital and Charter Clinic, Smithfield.
We have developed a specialist Silver Trauma Review clinic to provide intensive person-centred care to frail older patients who have attended the emergency department following trauma. This unique venture provides an alternative trauma pathway compared to traditional routes and offers opportunities for optimising trauma care in frail older patients.
The Mater geriatric emergency medicine service offers the opportunity to doctors and nurses to develop their skills in this ever increasing important area of emergency medicine.
HECTOR Ireland
At the Mater we are proud to host the HECTOR course. HECTOR began as the 'Heartlands Elderly Care Trauma and Ongoing Recovery' course, established to develop a training programme for clinicians and independent practitioners who are responsible for looking after older people who have injuries.
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The injuries that an individual sustains often play second fiddle to the complex comorbidities, frailty, and the challenges of caring for them within an ever-pressured emergency care system. This course mixes practical scenarios, moulages, lectures and discussions, focusing on the specific care needs of this group of patients.
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If you are interested in attending a future HECTOR course, please click here to join the waiting list:
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Or contact hector@mater.ie for further information.​
Our next course will be held on Friday 29th May 2026.
