[Who should be admitted to a geriatric unit?].
Potential geriatric patients are frail old persons characterized by the presence of one or several geriatric conditions: polypharmacy, socio-economic problems, vision/hearing impairment, confusion, impaired mobility, incontinence, weight loss, depression, falls, dementia, and prolonged bedrest. Admission of these frail old patients to a geriatric unit may reduce mortality, improve function, and decrease the risk of nursing home placement. These frail old patients may not all be able to profit from geriatric rehabilitation. The published randomized trials showing substantial effect of geriatric rehabilitation exclude patients with severe dementia, terminal disease or those with a single medical disease for which there is no further treatment. Careful selection of patients is necessary in order to achieve superior, clear-cut effect when compared to conventional treatment in general medical wards.
Holm
Ellen Astrid
EA
Amtssygehuset Roskilde, Geriatrisk Afdeling. ellenholm@dadlnet.dk
Frølund
Birgitte
B
D000368:Aged; D003718:Denmark; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016330:Frail Elderly; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000592:standards*; D018579:Patient Selection; D012307:Risk Factors