[The geriatric university clinic].

The very old are the fastest growing population group. Medical progress allows more autonomy and better quality of life for the elderly. Traditional medical concepts are, however, only partly suited for dealing with age-associated problems. Medical education responds to these new requirements in a limited way. Interdisciplinary teamwork is a prerequisite in treating the multimorbid, acutely ill elderly patient. The task of the university is not only the development and implementation of high-tech medicine, but first of all a comprehensive training in medicine, including geriatrics. The Geriatric University Clinic therefore offers pre- and postgraduate training in geriatrics, but also in related disciplines by promoting teaching and research. In order to attain these goals, the geriatric acute ward was created for acutely ill, very old, multimorbid, frail elderly patients. A geriatric ward for rehabilitation complements this ward. A consultation service offers geriatric know-how to all other services. A special task is the early diagnosis and treatment of dementia in an outpatient service. The aim is to prevent chronification by early intervention and to reestablish satisfactory function and autonomy.