[Non-pharmaceutical therapy of candidates for geriatric rehabilitation: Non-pharmaceutical therapy prescribed by SHI-accredited doctors after application for outpatient geriatric rehabilitative care]

The rejection of an application for ambulant geriatric rehabilitation (AGRV) is usually justified by the argument that non-pharmaceutical therapy prescribed by doctors accredited by social housing institutions (SHI) would suffice. The reality in healthcare during the 6 months following an application is unknown.In this study 203 patients who had made an application for AGRV in the second half of 2010 in Flensburg, Lübeck or Ratzeburg were interviewed by telephone.The survey revealed that 25.7% of the applications for AGRV had been rejected. The majority of these patients received no ambulant non-pharmaceutical therapy (e.g. physical therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy or psychological therapy), less than 20% received more than 12 therapy sessions and in most cases exclusively physiotherapy. The 141 successful AGRV applicants received additional ambulant therapies of a similar magnitude.The difference between the intensified interdisciplinary therapy offered in the AGRV and additionally and the offer to rejected applicants is substantial.