Geriatrics (from the Greek γερων, old, elderly and ιατρεια, care) is a medical discipline that cures age-related diseases and their disabling consequences, with the aim of delaying functional and cognitive decline as well as maintaining self-sufficiency and ensuring the best possible quality of life in old age.
The UOC of Geriatrics consists of 28 beds for patients over sixty-five who have acute diseases, exacerbation of chronic diseases and complex comorbidities.
The most frequent diseases treated are cardiovascular (heart failure, ischaemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation), neurological (dementia, cerebral stroke), metabolic (diabetes, renal failure), respiratory (COPD) and common geriatric syndromes (delirium, syncope, behavioural disorders, malnutrition, falls).
Geriatric medicine requires, in addition to the treatment of the acute event, the simultaneous preventive intervention on the possible complications of hospitalization for frail patients. The facility has a small gym available to physiotherapists for neuromotor rehabilitation and for the prevention of functional deficits that develop during hospitalization.
The working method is based on multi-professional collaboration (geriatrician, geriatric nurse/case manager, social health worker, social worker) and the involvement of caregivers in the care and assistance plan.
The protocols of the Multidimensional Geriatric Assessment from which the Individual Assistance Plan (PAI) originates are applied.
The search for Hospital-Territory continuity is constant through collaboration with specialist extra-hospital services.
In this regard, the UOC of Geriatrics includes two Simple Operating Units Centers for Cognitive Disorders and Dementias (CDCD) that guarantee the diagnostic-therapeutic path and the care of the patient suffering from cognitive decline and dementia of different levels of severity. CDCDs directly carry out:
- assessment of the diagnosis;
- pharmacological treatment both for the cognitive disorder and for the control of behavioural disorders;
- management of Therapeutic Plans for drugs for Alzheimer’s degenerative dementia and mental-behavioural disorders;
- follow-up for clinical-pharmacological monitoring;
- training and information activities, counseling for family members;
- reassessment of the appropriate care setting according to clinical and social conditions.
Specialist activities and access methods
Patients access the UOC of Geriatrics on an inpatient basis from the Emergency Department.
The following outpatient activities are accessed with the request of the NHS of the general practitioner or specialist:
- Geriatric Outpatient Clinic:
- geriatric check-up after discharge
- first geriatric examination
- Multidimensional Geriatric Assessment for assessment of comorbidity, functional status, risk of falling, fragility
- Multidimensional Geriatric Evaluation for Medical-Legal Use
- Cognitive Disorders and Dementias Center (CDCD) – Expert Territorial Center Aquino-Sora Headquarters (UOS UVA – C/D): direct access.
- Cognitive Disorders and Dementias Centre (CDCD) – Territorial Expert Centre Frosinone Headquarters (UOS UVA – A/B): direct access.
Reception time Inpatient ward
- Patient visits: every day from 12.30 to 14.00 and from 18.30 to 20.00
- Interviews with the Doctors: every weekday from 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm.
