[Reality of geriatric psychiatry services in a large West German city]

A comprehensive survey of psychogeriatric services was carried out as a part of public health planning in Solingen, a city of 165,000 inhabitants. The investigations consisted of extensive questionnaires and numerous interviews. Mental disorders are suspected in 15-20% of general practitioner's patients, in 62% of community health care center clients and in 65.5% of the residents of geriatric nursing homes and old people's homes. Hardly half of the latter and less than 20% of the clients of community health care center are under psychiatric treatment. Psychiatrists reach only about half as many elderly persons as must be expected from epidemiological data; the rate of clinical psychogeriatric treatment is lower than in some other German regions. The extend of psychotherapy in old age is very low. Collaboration between general practitioners and psychiatrists should be improved; in institutions training and supervision are deficient.