The dementia-friendly emergency department: An innovation to reducing incompatibilities at the local level.

Emergency Departments (EDs) are an integral part of the Canadian healthcare system. Older people living with dementia challenge EDs. They have complex health profiles that pose multiple challenges for staff. The current one-size-fits-all approach that aids efficiency in a technologically dependent hospital setting may not always serve older people living with dementia, their caregivers, or staff well. The premise that older people living with dementia are a problem for Canadian EDs must be reconsidered. Understanding the complexity of the situation is aided by the dementia-friendly ED framework. We propose one way to enhance communication between those living with dementia who receive ED services and those providing the service.