The Role of Geriatric Assessment Units in Caring for the Elderly: An Analytic Review

Abstract

Specialized geriatric assessment units (GAUs) have been established across North America in response to the growing recognition of the many unmet needs of the frail elderly and the conviction that GAUs can have major beneficial impacts. Although their structures and objectives vary considerably, GAUs are generally designed to comprehensively assess elderly patients' medical and psychosocial problems, to determine optimal placement, and often to provide therapy and rehabilitation. We offer a framework for examining structural and outcome variables for GAUs. Our analytic review of reported descriptive studies and the relatively few outcome studies indicates that GAUs can provide important positive impacts on health care for the elderly, including more thorough diagnoses, improved levels of physical and psychological functioning, and better placement decisions.