Engineering as a clinical tool for geriatric rehabilitation.

Of all age-groups, the over-60 group has the highest percentage of people with permanent, incurable, progressive handicaps. Clinical research during the past 14 years at the National Institute for Rehabilitation Engineering has shown that many elderly persons with permanent vision, hearing, speech, and mobility handicaps can be helped to be happier and more independent through a multidisciplinary team approach. The team should be led by physicians specializing in geriatric medicine and should include medical specialists, industrial engineers, efficiency and mobility experts, and task-performance trainers.