Bilan à deux ans de l'équipe mobile du Réseau Santé Géronto 4 du Val-de-Marne

In a context of ageing population and caps on health care spending the Réseau Santé Géronto (RSG 4) is one of the only geriatic care networks on the outskirts of Paris to have a mobile unit consisting of two geriatric doctors, two psychologists, two ergotherapists and a coordinating nurse. Since this mobile unit was set up in October 2005, the network's activity has intensified. On December 31st, 2007 the RSG 4 network had 156 professsional members, 66 of which general practitioners. Within two years, it has included 420 elderly people (aged 82.2 on average and, for the most part female) 108 of whom were given specific pluridisciplinary care to 2101 home visits. The main motive for calling on the unit is loss of autonomy notably involving cognitive troubles. The population involved suffers mostly from average dependency -which represents an evolution compared to the higher dependency rates when the network was first set up- and are mainly diagnosed with dementia. Approval ratings among the patients show full satisfaction while professionals blame the network for lack of communication and information and merely regard it as a facility to make use of in case of emergency or for making admission into hospital easier. What the network essentially needs improving is for psychologists to seek back-up among self-employed practitioners, setting-up regular follow-up procedures for patients who have already been assessed and an ongoing effort to communicate with partners, notably the self-employed, to further encourage their involvement.