Older People and Acute Care: A Matter of Place?

Older people are increasingly becoming the core business of the acute care setting. The acute care setting is more than a physical location where older people receive health care. It is a place that organizes both social space and social relations, thereby positioning older people and those who care for them in particular ways in that place. This article draws on the findings of two studies highlighting aspects of the interface of older people with the acute care system. It explores how understandings of acute care as a place influence the care and experiences of older people in that place. In so doing, it enables the possibility of shifting the emphasis from acute care for older people to a focus on care for people who are older in this setting.