Geriatric Education for EMS (GEMS)

The Geriatric Education for Emergency Medical Services (GEMS) program trains emergency and mobile healthcare practitioners to deliver state-of-the-art care to geriatric patients. The second edition of this highly acclaimed program addresses the geriatric-specific topics and competency statements in the National EMS Education Standards.

GEMS provides EMS practitioners at all levels the skills and knowledge to handle the unique medical, social, environmental and communications challenges of older adults. Developed by NAEMT, in partnership with the American Geriatrics Society, GEMS empowers EMS practitioners to help improve medical outcomes and quality of life for geriatric patients.

GEMS is offered as a Basic Core course and an Advanced course. Both courses are appropriate for EMTs, paramedics, emergency medical responders, nurses, physician assistants and physicians. The 8-hour courses enhance the competence, confidence and compassion of EMS practitioners in responding to geriatric patients.

We offer both classes, however the core course is a prerequisite for the advanced course.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The United States is home to 46 million adults ages 65 and older, representing about 15% of the population, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Over the next 25 years, that number is projected to rise to nearly 80 million, with older adults making up nearly 27% of the population. The number of adults over 80 is expected to grow from about 12 million today to 27 million.

Geriatric Education for EMS (GEMS) provides EMS practitioners the skills and knowledge to handle the unique medical, social, environmental and communications challenges of older adults.

Developed by NAEMT in partnership with the American Geriatrics Society, GEMS empowers EMS practitioners to help improve medical outcomes and quality of life for geriatric patients. This course enhances the competence, confidence and compassion of EMS practitioners in responding to geriatric patients.

Features of the core course include:

❚ Geriatric specific content on fall prevention, epidemiology, polypharmacy, end-of-life issues and do-not-resuscitate orders.

❚ Trauma care and disaster care for older patients.

❚ Case scenarios to encourage student interaction and discussion.

❚ An exploration of mobile integrated healthcare-community paramedicine (MIH-CP) and the EMS role in patient advocacy.

❚ Videos on MIH-CP, elder abuse and trauma care for the elderly, featuring real-world scenarios that demonstrate assessing, treating and communicating with older patients.

❚ Small group discussion and simulations including a station that allows students to experience vision, sensory and movement disorders, deepening their understanding of and compassion for geriatric patients.

NAEMT’s groundbreaking Geriatric Education for Emergency Medical Services (GEMS) Advanced course builds on the GEMS core course, delving into more complex, realistic scenarios and the unique technology EMS practitioners are likely to encounter when assessing, treating, and transporting older adults.

❚ Highly interactive, immersive educational format focuses on integrating critical thinking into real world application.

❚ Topics covered include caring for and transporting patients on home ventilators, LVADs (left ventricular assist devices), tracheostomies, PICC lines/invasive lines, and feeding tubes.

❚ Prepares EMS practitioners for the array of medical, mobility, psychosocial and communications issues found in older patients.

❚ Students are guided through a series of scenarios involving increasingly complex symptoms and situations.

COMBINED COURSE COST: $250.00
COURSE LENGTH: 16 Hours-

2022 Dates:
TBA

GEMS Core Course Is an 8 Hour classroom course

COURSE COST: $175.00
COURSE LENGTH: 8 hour classroom course

2022 Dates:
TBD

GEMS Advanced Course Is an 8 Hour classroom course (GEMS Core is a prerequisite)

COURSE COST: $125.00
COURSE LENGTH: 8 hour classroom course

2022 Dates:
TBA