Geriatric rehabilitation in day hospitals.

The main objective of geriatric day hospitals, that of physical rehabilitation of elderly patients mainly with strokes and arthritis, is matched by their facilities and their medical, nursing and therapy staffing. Patients attend by ambulance on 1 or 2 days a week for about 3 months for assessment and treatment, while continuing to live at home. Day hospitals are a popular and effective resource for the rehabilitation of selected patients, though not necessarily cheaper than institutional care. Problems remain in the separation of social care and psychogeriatric patients and in ambulance transport.