[Geriatric intervention team in an academic orthopedic surgery department: activity at the Ambroise-Paré Hospital in Boulogne, France]. / L'équipe d'intervention gériatrique dans un service de chirurgie orthopédique adulte: Bilan de la première année d'activité à l'hôpital Ambroise-Paré de Boulogne.

ABSTRACT

To respond to increasing demand resulting from population aging, a geriatric intervention team was created at the Ambroise-Paré hospital in February 2004. The main activity of the team is to improve medical and social care of elderly patients who are regularly frail with multiple morbid conditions and taking multiple medications. During the first year of activity, 23% of requests came from the orthopedic surgery department which annually cares for 720 patients aged over 75 years. Physicians and nurses from this department need to adapt their practices to the specific features of geriatric care. The geriatric intervention team provides advice, support, and suggestions as well as professional training.