The physician's role in nursing home care: an overview.

Providing effective, high-quality care in the nursing home is an important medical responsibility. Physicians must have knowledge of the nursing home environment, medical problems common in nursing home patients, and basic aspects of care required in the elderly. While the medical director of a nursing home must set and maintain the standard of care, attending physicians need to understand the clinically relevant differences between young and old people, be skilled in geriatric assessment, prescribe medications knowledgeably and with restraint, respond promptly to changes in the patient's status, and carefully document medical observations and care plans.