Atrial fibrillation is the most frequent cardiac arrhythmia in old age. As a result of the positive data on ablation, the focus has shifted to rhythm control. Older adults can also benefit from catheter ablation. Oral anticoagulation remains an essential part of the pharmacological treatment of atrial fibrillation. Recent study results show that geriatric patients require an individual treatment approach, which should be based on the recommendations of the current guidelines and the use of supplementary aids. The assessment of functionality should be taken into account in the treatment and the treatment goal planning as well as symptoms associated with atrial fibrillation. In acute situations cardioversion and long-term drug or interventional (catheter ablation) rhythm-stabilizing treatment are available for rhythm control.

The postoperative outcome of older people is significantly influenced by individual age-related risk factors. Therefore, factors such as frailty, cognitive impairment and functional dependency should be routinely included in the preoperative anesthesiological assessment of older patients. The approach recommended in the catalogue of criteria for geriatric trauma centers of the German Society for Trauma Surgery (DGU®) includes screening to identify geriatric patients, determination of frailty, assessment of cognitive impairment and delirium screening even in the emergency department. In addition, a basic geriatric assessment should be performed at the latest in the early postoperative phase to determine the need for further supportive therapy. Anesthesiologists work closely with geriatricians and trauma surgeons in the geriatric traumatological treatment. The recommendations for action and the nature of interdisciplinary collaboration are defined in standard operating procedures. It would be desirable to develop comparable concepts for the perioperative care of all older people beyond the field of geriatric traumatology.

In the second half of 2023 the Senate for Science, Health and Nursing of Berlin commissioned an explicit gerontological expert report from the team of authors, which was intended to provide suggestions for the modernization and concretization of § 71 of the German Social Code Act (SGB) XII, i.e., the central social law basis for so-called care of older people. It was completed by the end of 2023. The objective of the report was to provide suggestions for a Berlin Assistance for Old People Structural Law that considers the differentiation and diversity of the life phase of old age by identifying, analyzing and describing the necessary individual services.

The article demonstrates the contributions of the innovation program "D-Care Lab Baden-Württemberg 2023" to the development of innovative solutions for neighborhood care. The effects of the program are reconstructed on the basis of initial research findings pertaining to the innovation program. A distinctive aspect of the laboratory is its cross-sectoral collaborative structure. The levels of impact can be defined as follows: the acquisition of skills by the participants, the connection between skills acquisition and learning arrangement, the changes observed as a result of participation and the innovative solutions developed for care in the neighborhood. The initial results are presented in accordance with the theoretical research design and research methods previously outlined. The results demonstrate alterations in the competence profiles of the participants and the impact of the cooperative laboratory setting on the development of solutions. Based on these findings, the function of innovation programs becomes evident, thereby highlighting the necessity for mid-term to long-term impact analysis.

The increasing interruptions of nocturnal sleep with aging must be distinguished from actual sleep disorders. Morbidity and medication have an impact on sleep. The relationship between sleep and morbidity is mutual. Disturbed sleep modifies many clinical symptoms and diseases affect sleep and the ability to sleep. Geriatric syndromes such as falls, depression and dementia are modified by sleep disorders. Geriatric syndromes can be favorably influenced by the treatment of sleep disorders. Adequate diagnostics are important prerequisites. Coincidences of different sleep disorders are frequent. The medical history of patients and a sleep diary form the basis of the diagnostics. Sleep medicine provides further technical examination procedures. Older people should be examined in a sleep laboratory if the results have consequences that are accepted by the patient. This should be clarified in advance.

Challenging behavior of patients with dementia (PawD) leads to distress among nursing staff in acute hospital settings. Different levels of distress can be assumed between medical and surgical staff. Less is known about distress in surgical departments.

In Germany more than 800,000 osteoporotic fractures occur every year, with severe medical, social and health economic consequences. Nevertheless, as in many other countries there is a large gap in care. Fractures frequently occur in older geriatric patients, who are increasingly being (or should be) treated in geriatric trauma centers. This multidisciplinary approach offers the opportunity not only to restore the patient's mobility and independence but also to set the course for preventing further fractures. Diagnosing osteoporosis and initiating treatment early after a fracture is particularly important as there is an imminently high risk of further fractures in the months and years following a fracture. This review article describes a pragmatic, guideline-based approach to osteoporosis management for geriatric trauma patients. It discusses fracture risk assessment, current treatment thresholds and treatment strategies as well as the individual osteoporosis drugs, the indications and contraindications. This review aims to show that the treatment of osteoporosis within the framework of a geriatric traumatology team is feasible in the majority of cases. It is suggested that a treatment decision can be systematically made based on a few questions or a flow chart.

Recognizing functional deficits early and counteracting them with a multimodal treatment concept is one of the most important tasks of general practitioners, who are usually the primary medical contact for geriatric patients.

The presence of frailty in older patients increases the risk for adverse health events and for a loss of independence. Measures for the prevention of this geriatric syndrome should be incorporated into routine healthcare.

The enormous potential of cardiovascular prevention in terms of expanding the life span and health span is presently nowhere near being realized. The five classical cardiovascular risk factors body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol, tobacco smoking, and diabetes mellitus account for more than half of the cases of incident cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular prevention is also effective and adequate in seemingly healthy individuals aged 70 years or above, although the association of several cardiovascular risk factors with cardiovascular diseases is less pronounced in old age. The cardiovascular risk of seemingly healthy persons aged 70 years or above can validly be determined using the Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation-Older Persons (SCORE2-OP), leading to risk-adjusted clear treatment recommendations. National and international guidelines advocate individualized cardiovascular prevention in several domains including diet, physical activity and risk factor management through to old age.

People with Down syndrome have a genetically increased risk of developing early onset Alzheimer's dementia. An interview study with healthcare providers, patient representatives and employees in residential and work facilities was conducted to identify deficits in the healthcare process and approaches to overcoming them.

The geriatric assessment is a basic requirement and a key quality parameter in geriatric care. An increasing number of older patients are presenting to emergency or central admission departments and discharge units in hospitals. For this reason, and in view of the time-critical decision-making requirements in this setting, digital applications of basic geriatric assessment data are becoming increasingly more important for the high-quality follow-up care of geriatric patients.

Geriatric patients in subacute inpatient care (SC) with rehabilitation needs after hospitalization seldom utilize rehabilitative services and are often transitioned to long-term care (LTC), suggesting that their care in SC can be optimized.

Orthogeriatric comanagement of older patients with hip fractures has been proven to provide significant benefits concerning functional status, readmissions, nursing home placement, in-hospital complications and mortality. Medication management in older individuals is a cornerstone in orthogeriatric comanagement. The aim of the study was to analyze the extent of overprescription and undertreatment in older trauma patients.