[An epidemiological study in basic medicine on the health status of the "very old"]

A research protocol on the health and social situation of a sample of "very old" people seen in a setting of general practice. Besides its objective of defining the spectrum of problems presented by this group of patients, the investigation aims at evaluating the impact of an intervention which should include all the members of the care team (doctors, nurses, social and health assistants), to allow due attention also to the problems of relatives and of those who assure home assistance to the elderly.