This is the third edition of an established text in primary care. The new contractual obligations on GPs to ensure that the medical and social needs of their elderly patients are properly met, emphasizing the concepts of prevention, health maintenance and rehabilitation, are taken into account. Professor Williams remains the primary author, but chapters are included from experts in the US and Europe, providing an international perspective on the care of older people.

Table of Contents

Community care for older people in the United States - an overview; healthy ageing in Europe; demographic change in the United Kingdom; health status; financial status; social status; dynamics of health and ageing; social vulnerability; health care resources in the community; social care resources; preventive and anticipatory care - the theory; health checks - the practicalities, the procedures, do they work?; the older person in the family medicine; the hospital-community interface; common problems in family medicine; nutrition and hypothermia; rehabilitation; nursing older people in the community; palliative and terminal care in the community; ethical issues in the community; audit of care of older people.