[Method and organization of geriatric assessment]

The intention of a Geriatric Assessment (GA) is a more systematic and exact way to examine a wide range of activities of daily life. This can be achieved by the help of scientifically proved and standardized investigations which complete the medical judgment with objective and comparable results. This type of examination controls the selective observation of the investigator and makes reexamination easier. Moreover, this way of gaining information gives reliable hints about non-apparent or difficult-to-estimate risks of a patient. The methods of GA have to be adapted to different qualities of resources which will be assessed: physical resources should be assessed by standardized ways of observation; the patient's subjective well-being should be examined by standardized interviews. The standardized instruments of measurement are fairly independent from personal qualifications of the investigator.