Geriatric day hospital

Abstract

The length of hospitalization of the population over 65 has been significantly reduced. Due to a mixture of diseases in this population, it is often necessary to have medical monitoring after hospitalization or even out-of hospital treatment. That is why geriatric day hospitals have been founded. In such a hospital, the elderly patients can have examinations, obtain treatment or rehabilitation. The Law defines that 1% of hospital beds shall be allocated for day hospitals in Serbia. This regulation is not supported by standards related to the space, equipment, workforce, admittance indications of services. Statistical evidence of the treated patients according to their age structure is also missing. Greatest percentage of beds in day hospitals is allocated to psychiatry and physical medicine. Such hospitals work five days a week, in the morning shift. One-day geriatric hospital should be closely related to local teams for home care and treatment. It is estimated that in the future these patients should get treatment and care according to the 'virtual clinic' principle. That would enable long-distance services to the population of the elderly.

Dužina bolničkog lečenja starijih od 65 godina je značajno smanjena. Zbog udruženih oboljenja često je potreban medicinski nadzor posle hospitalizacije ili tretman van bolnice. U tu svrhu osnivaju se dnevne gerijatrijske bolnice. U jednodnevnoj gerijatrijskoj bolnici omogućen je pregled, tretman i rehabilitacija bolesnih starijih osoba. U Srbiji je propisano da jedan odsto bolničkih postelja bude namenjen za dnevnu bolnicu. Ovaj propis nije praćen standardima prostora, opreme, kadrova, indikacija za prijem, usluga. Takođe, nedostaje statistička evidencija lečenih prema starosnoj strukturi. Najviše postelja u dnevnim bolnicama namenjeno je psihijatriji i fizikalnoj medicini, a dnevne bolnice su aktivne pet dana u nedelji u prepodnevnim smenama. Jednodnevna gerijatrijska bolnica treba da bude tesno povezana sa lokalnim kućnim timovima lečenja i nege. Smatra se da u budućnosti ovim pacijentima negu treba organizovati na principu virtuelne klinike, što bi omogućilo pružanje usluga sa udaljenosti.