[Therapeutic services in institutions for the aged (author's transl)]

It is reported what kinds of therapeutic services are offered in the Institutions for the Aged in the Federal Republic, how many therapeutic personnel there is, what the costs are, what organisational and financial problems arise. There is no exact information on how many old aged institutions offer therapeutic services. Questionnaires were sent to about 250 Institutions that are said to have rehabilitation departments, 46 of them had been answered. On average the rehabilitation departments have a size of 250 square meters, they have between 1 and 18 full-time employees, on average 3. Half of them are medical trained bathing attendants and masseurs. Mostly there are offered massages and mobility training. There is a sort of uncertainty what kind of therapy is most useful for the elderly, particular in respect to the use of bathing therapy and occupational therapy. More information is needed for a better coordination of nursing and therapy. On average the physicians are wanted to know more about therapy for the elderly and give better advice to the therapists. There are big problems in financing and it is difficult to get special trained staff.