"Geriatric syndrome" is a term that is often used to refer to common health conditions in older adults that do not fit into distinct organ-based disease categories and often have multifactorial causes. The list includes conditions such as cognitive impairment, delirium, incontinence, malnutrition, falls, gait disorders, pressure ulcers, sleep disorders, sensory deficits, fatigue, and dizziness....

BACKGROUND geriatric assessment is a well-established instrument to improve the care of the elderly, but little is known about it in general practice although patients often are known for years. METHODS we used STEP-assessment, an instrument developed by European General Practitioners (GPs), which identifies only problems that can be improved; 37 questions had to be answered by the patient an...

BACKGROUND Frailty is related to adverse outcomes in the elderly. However, current status and clinical significance of frailty have not been evaluated for the Korean elderly population. We aimed to investigate the usefulness of established frailty criteria for community-dwelling Korean elderly. We also tried to develop and validate a new frailty index based on a multidimensional model. METHOD...

AIM to investigate the cost effectiveness of CGA in an acute geriatric ward. METHODS a non-randomized controlled trial was carried out at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital from January to December 2005. The inclusion criteria were elderly patients with geriatric syndrome. Exclusion criteria were advanced malignancy, APACHE II score > 34,in-hospital mortality in the first 24 hours, move ...

BACKGROUND Older people with multi-morbidity are increasingly challenging for today's healthcare, and novel, cost-effective healthcare solutions are needed. The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) at an ambulatory geriatric unit for people ≥75 years with multi-morbidity. METHOD The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiv...

BACKGROUND Screening tools are proposed to identify those older cancer patients in need of geriatric assessment (GA) and multidisciplinary approach. We aimed to update the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) 2005 recommendations on the use of screening tools. MATERIALS AND METHODS SIOG composed a task group to review, interpret and discuss evidence on the use of screening tools...

BACKGROUND Cognitive impairment and depression are major mental health problems affecting older people. The current study was designed to explore the prevalence of cognitive impairment and depression in representative sample of elderly people aged ≥60 years and to examine the correlates of cognitive impairment and depression with other sociodemographic variables. METHODS A cross-sectional stu...

The management of older patients with cancer is historically challenging because of a lack of prospective data regarding the appropriate management of this population. In this review, we address some of the issues and challenges surrounding the treatment of older cancer patients, including the withholding of medically appropriate treatment based on chronologic age, the historical omission of el...

Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) as a consultative service for older adults with complex medical and psychosocial challenges has existed for decades. However, studies have often showed inconsistent acceptance and implementation of geriatric recommendations by primary care providers (PCPs) raising doubts about the overall benefits of CGA in this setting. Press and colleagues investigated...

Nutrition is an important determinant of health in persons over the age of 65. Malnutrition in the elderly is often underdiagnosed. Careful nutritional assessment is necessary for both the successful diagnosis and development of comprehensive treatment plans for malnutrition in this population. The purpose of this article is to provide clinicians with an educational overview of this essential b...