Evaluation of older persons in the ambulatory setting

This report provides a comprehensive description of an established outpatient geriatric consultation service. The basic objectives of the service are to promote health and to prevent or minimize disability. The consultation service uses a multidisciplinary team with core participants from medicine, nursing, and social work and is based in a setting where a wide range of specialty consultants and ancillary services are available. A detailed description of 131 individuals who received geriatric consultations during a one-year period is provided. Despite a substantial burden of disability, most older persons after the consultation process were able to continue living in their own preferred setting. The degree to which the geriatric consultation service contributed to these favorable outcomes is currently being evaluated through a randomized clinical trial.