[Preventive care for geriatric patients in general medicine].

Abstract

Background: Recognizing functional deficits early and counteracting them with a multimodal treatment concept is one of the most important tasks of general practitioners, who are usually the primary medical contact for geriatric patients.

Aim: Illustration of strategies for a biopsychosocial assessment of geriatric patients and for the creation of individually adapted prevention concepts in general practice.

Material and methods: Literature research on the theoretical background of the most important prevention approaches for geriatric patients as well as considerations on their relevance and implementation in daily practice.

Results: For geriatric patients prevention measures should be implemented simultaneously on all four prevention levels. The main objective is promoting physical and mental exercise. The risks of immobility, depression, cognitive decline, malnutrition and, last but not least, polypharmacy are of particular importance.

Conclusion: Geriatric patients represent a very heterogeneous group. In order to be able to take individual preventive action, a multidimensional assessment of key factors for maintaining functionality and relative health is required, even though chronic conditions may already exist.