[Residential gerontopsychiatry or who helps homes in management of psychiatric elderly patients? A study of all old age and nursing homes of the Gütersloh district 1991].

In 1991, there existed 20 homes and nursing homes for the elderly in the district of Gütersloh (Nordrhein-Westfalen, Federal Republic of Germany) with a total of 1518 beds. 56,000 persons aged 60 years and more rsp. 41,000 persons aged 65 years and more are living in this area. This means 2.7 beds per 100 persons aged 60 years and more are provided, or 3.7 beds per 100 persons aged 65 years and more. 22.5% of the home residents are in need of care, grade II (care is necessary for some activities of daily living), 55.6% are in need of care, grade III (care is necessary in most or all activities of daily living). Only three of the homes have a special department or ward for residents with high grades of need of care; in all the other homes residents with high grades of need of care are supported together with residents with lower grades of need of care. One home has a special psychogeriatric department with two wards, another one a single psychogeriatric ward. The leading staff members of the homes assessed that 831 out of 1861 residents in the whole year 1991 were mentally disordered, i.e., a rate of 44.65% in which is similar to the results of comparable studies. 75% of the admissions of mentally disordered persons are arranged by family members or relatives. Only 7% come directly from the psychogeriatric department of the responsible psychiatric clinic in the area (Westfälische Klinik für Psychiatrie).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)