The authors report on more than 2,000 impaired elderly people who were
referred to a geriatric outreach program during its first 5 years of
operation. These patients were referred by a wide variety of professionals
and private citizens, who were usually concerned about the person's ability
to care for himself or herself or about psychiatric symptoms. The most
common diagnosis was dementing illness (21% of the patients), followed by
depression (13%). Intervention usually involved making appropriate plans
based on an accurate diagnosis, often including coordinating the services
of other agencies. A follow-up of 100 patients showed that most of the
patients who were still living had maintained their independence.Abstract Teaser