[Management and treatment of elderly psychiatric patients by the general practitioner]. / Betreuung und Behandlung alterspsychiatrischer Patienten durch den Praktiker.

About one third of all elderly people suffer from psychosocial disturbances reducing their well-being, ability or independence. Those disturbances can be mitigated more often than expected by medical treatment, psychotherapy or other therapies. In this field it is above all the general practitioner who has to be engaged as gate keeper and case manager.