Role of Day Hospital Care

Abstract

Geriatric medicine initiated an early form of progressive patient care in hospital—through acute admission ward, to rehabilitation ward, and continuing care ward. The geriatric day hospital is a logical extension of this system and forms a bridge between the hospital and the community. The ever-increasing numbers and proportion of elderly people, particularly the very old, in our society inevitably increase the incidence of disabling disease. The provision of day care for the treatment and support of elderly disabled people has been an attempt, attended with a good deal of success, to prevent the admission to hospital of more and more of these old people. © 1973, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.