I'll agree with Jamie. In our rural part of the EMS world, there is often a very grey area that exists when the elderly fall into the gap between 'just about able to take care of themselves' and 'not so unwell that the State will admit them into a care facility'. We frequently become the only assistance that these patients can rely on. Often we'll have a 'frequent flyer' with relatively minor but recurring problems that we'll get called to. In one case we were getting toned twice a day to one LOL in town for ailments such as 'patient is confused' (she lost her cat). Eventually the State finally realized that she couldn't take care of herself any more, and they found a place for her in a care facility. That's one of the happy endings. Many aren't. I recently read an article (in JEMS I think) by an EMT-P regarding opportunities for educating patients with Diabetes. It is the job of EMS, he suggested, to not just pick them up and give them glucose when they forget to manage their condition - but to also take the opportunity to evaluate their diet, medication and lifestyle and suggest improvements. There's a split between people in EMS who think that 'this is not our job', and those who feel that any opportunity at improving a patient's quality of life shouldn't be wasted. There is a fine line between a quick helping hand, and becoming over involved.