[Management of elderly citizens dependent on outside help from the clinical viewpoint]

The increase of life expectancy has led to a higher percentage of the oldest and requiring help people. The present paper described the possibilities and situation of care for this part of the population on the basis of an analysis of a district of Berlin. It must be stated that the cooperation between social organizations and ambulatory institutions and hospitals can be improved. The hospitalisation of older people requiring help should be an exception and is ethically legitimated only then, when it is performed with the intention of the patient. The willingness for care on the side of the members of the patients' families is analysed and discussed in the sense of improvement.