For Health Care Providers

Emergency Room (ER) Visits

The ER experience can be overwhelming and confusing. This guide includes ways to help family caregivers prepare for, or avoid, ER visits. It also includes facts about what to do and expect when in the ER.

Emergency Room Visits: A Family Caregiver’s Guide


From the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS):

"Are You a Hospital Inpatient or Outpatient?" in English and Spanish download pdf

Extended observation in hospital emergency rooms (ER), on special observation units, or even in regular hospital rooms without being admitted to the hospital is a new concept in health care, with significant implications for payment as well as services after leaving the hospital, such as home care and rehabilitation. This brochure can clarify the consequences for both health care providers and family caregivers.