Geriatric patients who present to the emergency department (ED) frequently over a short period of time pose significant challenges to the ED physician, who must decide whether they are safe to be discharged. It is not known if the distribution of these visits over time may identify patient groups with different needs or who are at higher risk of adverse outcomes. The purpose of this study is to determine if distinct patterns of use exist in these patients and to describe their patient, visit, and hospital characteristics.