[Home care teams]

In order to keep the elderly in their own homes, the general practitioner looking after them has to enlist the help of various social services such as welfare officers, home-helps, housing allowances, help with income budgeting, etc. The main people involved in the process of home care are the elderly themselves. In geriatrics, prevention is better than cure. The general practitioner is a long-term fieldworker. He is therefore the most suitable person to help his patients prepare for old age. Analysing income, housing, health, moral and social living standards contribute to prevention. At home, help must be continuous and long-term and it is feasible to create an adequate supporting network for each individual case. Even very handicapped patients can grow old and die at home, if they are well looked after.