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The author reviews two syndromes which affect the elderly in a general hospital: “dumping” and “blocked beds”. The term “dumping” is often misused for the aged becoming increasingly dependent and who require assessment, treatment and active rehabilitation. “Blocked beds” not only result from insufficient home care resources, but also from inadequate services offered by the hospital to senior citizens. The proposed solutions are the implementation of geriatric assessment units where global and multidisciplary care are best suited to meet the specific needs of the elderly. The multidisciplanary team also works as a consultant, especially in the emergency room, to assess and take care of the aged who are at risk, and whose cases are wrongly labelled as “dumping”.