[Geriatric hospital facilities]

Nowadays (and prior to any hospital reform), geriatric hospital structures rest on medium or long length stay units and on acute geriatry departments when these are available. However, to limit relations between hospital and the elderly to these three structures would be an oversimplification. The organization of emergency admission units for the elderly, the medico-social preparation of these patients before they return home, the setting up of geriatric consultations in both out-patient clinics and specialized hospital departments are all major topics not to be neglected. Moreover, geriatric day-hospitals offer hospital treatment without accommodation which is a solution desired by many old people. What can be suggested for the mentally deficient or demented old patient admitted to a hospital, if not the cooperative efforts of geriatric and psychiatric teams working in suitable architectural structures? Finally, we must insist on the need for coordination between hospital and non-hospital structures, so that the entire "geriatric network" becomes reality without any break in care between structures.