What is geriatric care?

Care for the elderly becomes necessary when mental, physical or social abilities deteriorate due to age. The aim is to give people a certain degree of autonomy and independence. For this reason, patients carry out as much of the care themselves as possible. The primary aim of geriatric care is to preserve the independence and dignity of patients.

Nursing homes and outpatient care services: What's the difference?

Care for older people can be provided in the patient's home, by outpatient care services, in retirement homes, in geriatric psychiatry or in palliative care units and hospices. In addition, end-of-life care in both hospitals and nursing homes has been particularly expanded in response to the advanced age of patients when they arrive at the facilities. In addition, care facilities can help relatives to prepare and organize care and to make use of services.

Due to a principle of long-term care insurance, much more care is now provided on an outpatient basis. For many people who do not require nursing care, care is therefore provided by home helps and sometimes also partly by relatives. However, if the person lives alone, suffers from dementia or is older than 85, they can more easily be admitted to a nursing home. This explains, among other things, the fact that 73% of women in nursing homes are widowed (according to Destatis). In addition to nursing homes, older people can also be accommodated in assisted living facilities. These are rented or owner-occupied apartments that can include basic care services (home emergency call, janitor, etc.). Multi-generation homes also offer older people the opportunity to continue living in their own home, but in a shared apartment to avoid possible isolation. Roommates of all ages as well as outpatient services or domestic help can assist the elderly.

The geriatric nurses

Care is provided by care assistants or nurses. The increasing demand for retirement homes due to the growing number of elderly people in need of care means a high demand for staff. German law stipulates a 50% share of qualified staff in care homes. Training to become a geriatric nurse takes three years in the dual system, after which the nurse acquires the title of nursing specialist. Prospective nurses receive the theoretical foundations that are common to all nurses and specialize in the field of geriatrics in the third year. Specializations can also focus on palliative care, geriatric psychiatric care or diseases such as diabetes. Like the other nursing training courses, geriatric nursing training courses are remunerated between 1,150 and 1,500 euros (third year). It is one of the medical fields in which there are the most job opportunities.

Geriatric nurses basically take on all the tasks that help their patients get through everyday life. They help with food intake and personal hygiene and administer infusions and medication. Where possible, they build up a trusting relationship with their patients and provide them with emotional support. Their duties also include organizational and administrative tasks.

‍Thetask of geriatric nurses

The main tasks of geriatric nurses are therefore everyday tasks in which they support patients. The aim of a geriatric nurse is also to build a trusting relationship and enable patients to continue to develop in their everyday lives. Geriatric nurses are therefore responsible for helping patients get dressed and changed, as well as assisting with eating or grooming (washing, brushing teeth, shaving, combing). Patients may also need help with mobility in order to move around or get into a bed or wheelchair. Finally, the caregiver performs medical tasks. This includes caring for wounds, administering medication, giving injections, inserting catheters or measuring and monitoring vital signs.

However, the nurse is also a moral support, both for the patient, with whom he/she maintains a dynamic and motivating atmosphere, and for the relatives, whose direct contact person he/she is. In the home of the person in need of care, care can also be accompanied by housekeeping activities to ensure the hygiene of the person in need of care. In rehabilitation departments, geriatric nurses are mainly entrusted with therapeutic and medical-care tasks.

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