title: Medical care of elderly people: the place of the general hospital.
abstract: A strategy is necessary in order to provide adequate medical care for an increasing number of elderly people. It can either be developed separately or within existing medical services. The characteristics of elderly disabled people need to be considered in order to determine policy. This has been influenced by the legacy from the past developments which have occurred in Britain and elsewhere as well as by certain constraints currently present. A hospital based system which has a regional responsibility is the favoured method. Hospitals and those who are particularly concerned with medical services for elderly people have a reciprocal need for each other. The increasing trend towards specialisation provides an opportunity for the physician concerned with elderly people to serve as a general physician while continuing to exercise his special interests. By this means it would be possible for the medical care of elderly people to be developed within the mainstream of medicine rather than as a separate entity as has been the practice in the past.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000639:trends*; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000639:trends*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000639:trends*; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans