Department of Geriatrics belongs to the youngest departments of the 1st Faculty of Medicine. It was established on 1.10.2000 as a joint educational and medical training center for geriatrics and gerontology at 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General Faculty Hospital in Prague.
Medical care
Department of Geriatrics provides specialized geriatric in-patient and out-patient ambulatory care to patients of advanced age from the region of the city of Prague. Department of Geriatrics is specialized in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the most common diseases and conditions in old age, in comprehensive geriatric assessment and evaluation of functional abilities. Beside medical and rehabilitative treatment, the care is focused on high-quality nursing with holistic approach to complex health, social and psychological needs of the elderly patient. Currently, the department operates with 74 beds: 54 beds serve for acute geriatric care and rehabilitation, remaining 20 beds serve for post-acute skilled nursing care.
In-patient care:
number of wards 4
number of beds 74
Out-patient (ambulatory) care:
· Geriatric and internal out-patient clinic
· Chronic wound care
· Memory clinic
Education and training activities
Department of Geriatrics serves as an educational and training center for pre-graduate training in geriatrics. It also serves as a national-level training center for post-graduate education of medical doctors in geriatric medicine during their 3-years fellowship program to become specialists in geriatric medicine.
The spectrum of pre-graduate training and teaching courses and seminars is broad. For medical students there is a one week of “Geriatric Medicine” clinical rotation accompanied with daily seminars and case discussion for the students in 4th year of the study . Medical students are exposed also to social gerontology as part of the study of social medicine and public health. Both studies are available in Czech and English language. Since 2005 additional non-obligatory studies of “Geriatrics – clinical case studies” have been introduced for medical students in their 5th year of the study.
Geriatrics and gerontology are taught also in training of non-medical health professionals: Baccalaureate studies of physiotherapy, ergotherapy and baccalaureate and masters studies in nursing.
Department of Geriatrics (former sub-department/division of geriatrics and internal medicine) serves since 1974 as a clinical basis for postgraduate medical education both in medical specialist (fellowship) training as well as continuing medical education of specialist physicians. Medical department provides clinical training and training courses and is appointed as clinical basis of “Sub-Chair of Geriatrics and Gerontology” of the Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education. Since mid 80s all Czech physicians specialized in Geriatric medicine took part in training courses, clinical studies or research in our department. Currently Department of Geriatrics hold the accreditation for specialist training in geriatric medicine (geriatrics) from the Czech Ministry of Health and the accreditation for continuing medical education in geriatrics and in internal medicine from the Czech Medical Chamber. Geriatric Department provides also postgraduate doctoral studies and PhD studies in GERONTOLOGY (as part of biomedicine studies at Charles University and Czech Academy if Sciences). Professor Eva Topinková, MD, PhD serves as a Chair of the Board Gerontology and tutor of the doctoral students.
The Department recognized important role of geriatric education for non-medical health professionals. An interdisciplinary team of Department’s faculty participate in continuing professional education of health managers, nurses, therapists and other professionals.
Scientific activities and research:
The Geriatric Department is involved in ageing research as a co-ordinating centre and partner in several national and international research projects (for instance, the Research project of Charles University „Neurosciences“, Internal Grant Agency Ministry of health-supported projects, and several research projects funded by European Commission under 5th (AD HOC Project, CLESA Project) ,6th (NUTRI-SENEX Project), and most recently under 7th Framework Program RTD (PREDICT Project, SHELTER Project).
The research areas include clinical geriatric syndromes, geriatric epidemiology, disability, geriatric pharmacology, palliative care in geriatrics and health system research including ethics of resource allocation. In its international research programs the department cooperation continues with several European universities and research centers (Sheffied, Kent, Rome, Amsterdam, Geneva) and overseas research institutions (inter-RAI, The Hastings Center, New York). In 2007, the Department was selected to become a partner centre in European Research Collaborating Program (Network of Excellence in Geriatric Research “GERONTONET”). Most recently, in 2009 the Department became a Collaborating Centere of the International Association of Geriatrics and Gerontology.
