Practical considerations in the rehabilitation of the aged

Enlightened geriatric care provides assistance to the elderly for living independently as long as possible. Essential to this amenity is the high priority placed upon restoration in coordination with other forms of therapy. Medical rehabilitation too often has been associated with employment-oriented goals and with major physical achievements. Restoration of the young spinal-injured paraplegic patient has been a model for rehabilitation medicine. The aged, also, often can be restored to optimal levels of functional capacity commensurate with their lesser needs. Rehabilitative principles for the management of disability are the same in old age as at any other time of life. Certain age-related factors, however, profoundly influence programs of restoration for the elderly. These factors need full consideration when physicians plan appropriate care for their aged patients. A list of guidelines is presented.