title: Geriatric assessment in the home.
abstract: Home assessment of health, environmental, and social factors, and their interactions that may impair the patient's functional capabilities and quality of life can play a critical role in the care of frail elderly patients. Home assessments can reveal important new health and social problems not identified in a clinical visit. Recent information suggests that home assessment is identified with good patient outcomes. Although this type of assessment is traditionally carried out by a nurse in the context of an interdisciplinary team, an individual primary care physician can also establish an ad hoc, multidisciplinary team to help care for frail elderly patients using principles derived from a comprehensive home assessment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, UCSD.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Ramsdell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006699:Home Care Services; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States