[Patients with dementia as a secondary diagnosis. Care in geriatric inpatient rehabilitation]

Abstract

More than one-third of geriatric inpatients suffer from dementia as a secondary diagnosis. The number of patients with dementia and other age-related diseases is increasing as the population ages. Geriatric inpatient rehabilitation has been recognized as an efficient tool to restore functional impairment and improve outcomes related to functional dependence in old age. For patients with cognitive impairment, the situation is still controversial. Inpatient rehabilitation specifically designed for older adults with cognitive impairment, addressing the specific needs of this group, is still lacking. This review summarizes the current state of research and introduces an inpatient rehabilitation model developed and evaluated for patients with mild to moderate dementia as secondary diagnosis.