Residents and interns have the opportunity to care for geriatric patients on a 17-bed ACE (Acute Care for the Elderly) Unit, in New York Presbyterian Hospital, on Greenberg 10 North. Interdisciplinary management of complex patients is the hallmark of this unit. The rotation also offers opportunities to follow-up patients after discharge at their private residence, their doctor's office, or their nursing home.

Goals of the geriatrics rotation include:

1. Apply the principles of assessment, treatment, and prevention of specific geriatric problems and syndromes, including but not limited to
   • Delirium
   • Incontinence
   • Falls and gait disorders
   • Pressure ulcers
2. Manage acute illnesses common to geriatric patients, such as pneumonia, urosepsis, cellulitis, and syncope
3. Use a functional approach to patient problems
4. Identify the roles of all members of the geriatric team: physician, advance practice nurse, staff nurse, social worker, physical therapist, occupational therapist, dietician (and others, where indicated)
5. Participate in interdisciplinary team discussions of patient care plans
6. Recognize the adverse consequences of hospitalization and the interventions that can minimize them
7. Value the important role of families and caregivers
8. Initiate discussions about end-of-life care
9. Apply the principles of continuity of care
   
   • Coordination of care between settings
   • Effective communication with outside physicians and agencies
   • Documentation and order writing
   • Available services
   • Patient and family education
10. Identify the risks for institutionalization and differentiate between the levels of care provided in different institutions