[Geriatrics: an introduction from a gerontological point of view]

Geriatrics is in comparison to the other medical professions a relatively new discipline. The calendarical age is not suitable for the characterization of its patient population, the multimorbid old patients. The biofunctional age in terms of the ICF is a better choice. It is characterized in part by physical, psychical, and social context-factors, which can be analysed by geriatric assessments. A better cooperation between basic science orientated gerontological disciplines with the geriatrics will be, beside the implementation into the university medicine and the standardized uniform professional training, of essential importance for the further development of geriatric medicine.