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The patients in our department are either admitted via the accident and emergency department or via the Admissions Secretary's Office and from there assigned to the individual wards at specific times depending on bed occupancy or directly to the wards from Admission.

Geriatric medicine is a branch of modern, scientifically based medicine that deals with the particular problems relating to disease in older people. In addition to the study of old age and the associated normal progressive and pathological changes, geriatric medicine also concentrates specifically on the fundamental needs of older people. The investigation of common conditions in this age group (e.g. dizziness, incontinence and confusion) also falls within the remit of this discipline. The provision and organisation of medical, social and voluntary support is another major area of focus. At no age is the discrepancy between health problems and the resulting requirements for care and support and available services greater than in this age group. Geriatric treatment with early rehabilitation has the aim of treating, compensating and reducing the extremely diverse physical, emotional and social effects of illness in older patients. Medical, diagnostic and therapeutic measures are complemented by a holistic concept (the Bobath concept, a neurological concept specifically developed for stroke patients) of modern active care combined with a targeted, multidisciplinary treatment approach. The aim is to effect an improvement in the functional capacities and abilities of the individual patient in the performance of practical daily life activities based on his or her capabilities, problems and resources.

A further aim is to prevent the common threat of immobilisation and dependency and, as far as possible, to enable a return to the patient's previous life circumstances. The therapeutic team forms a central component in geriatric care and comprises the treating physicians, the nursing and geriatric nursing staff and the therapists. Nursing care, functional exercise therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and neuro-psychologists all have an important role to play when dealing with rehabilitation problems. A further component here is the Social Welfare Department that deals with social issues and continuing care following discharge in liaison with relatives. The Centre has access within the hospital to all modern diagnostic techniques of internal medicine, computer tomography and MRI. EEG and bone density measurements are also available.

Special syndromes and conditions found in geriatric medicine:

In addition to the normal physiological degenerative processes in old age, e.g. deterioration of hearing, sight, reactions, power, elasticity, respiratory volume, pulse frequency, body weight and muscle mass, there are specific diseases affecting older individuals (e.g. certain tumours, auto-immune processes, prostate adenoma and bone demineralisation diseases) as well as the total effect of the wide variety of chronic damage to the body that occurs throughout life.

Frequent syndromes and conditions  

Stroke, PRIND
Dizziness, falls
Patients post-hip/knee TEP/FEP
Late diabetic syndrome
Depression in old age
Dementia and its diagnosis
Rehabilitation in cardiovascular diseases and ACVB
Mobilisation after heart attack
Parkinson's disease
Osteoporosis and vertebral fractures
Post-fracture and post-osteosynthesis care