The department, which is part of the neurosensory cluster of the UMCN, is delivering patient care to the frail elderly, teaching and research.
Patient care exists of an acute geriatric evaluation and management unit (20 beds), an outpatient clinic, a diagnostic day centre, and a consultation team. For each of these geriatric health services a well trained multidisciplinary care team is in charge, supervised by one of the 6 staff geriatricians.
We aim to develop and evaluate health services that fit frail elderly. As such a transmural model of treatment for frail elderly subjects in general practice is currently evaluated (Dutch Easy care study).
Teaching and training respectively are delivered to medical students and registrars in geriatrics. Moreover, geriatric skills and knowledge is being teached to a variety of health professionals, from nurses to occupational therapists.
Research is focussing on cardiovascular aging and cognitive decline in the elderly, and especially on the overlap and connections between these two areas. Recent studies have been carried out on heart failure, orthostatic and postprandial hypotension, various RCTs in dementia and MCI, and among others current projects are focussing on dementia and walking, cerebral blood perfusion, and orthostatic hypotension and falls. Part of the research is carried out within the frame of the Nijmegen Alzheimer Centre.