New geriatric trauma center in Erlangen: Better care for seniors!

New geriatric trauma center in Erlangen: Better care for seniors!

Geriatric care is becoming increasingly important in our aging society. Fall-related fractures, such as the dreaded femoral neck fractures, pose a serious challenge. According to the Erlangen University Hospital It is essential to adapt the structures in medical care accordingly in order to be able to provide the best possible help to affected seniors.

Last year, Erlangen University Hospital opened the Geriatric Trauma Center of the German Society for Trauma Surgery. V. certified. Combined know-how from various specialist areas is used here to optimize the care of older patients. This includes close collaboration between specialists in trauma surgery, orthopedics, internal medicine, psychiatry, psychotherapy as well as nursing, physical and occupational therapy, and speech therapy.

Citizens' lecture on the new supply structure

A public lecture will take place on January 19, 2026 at 6:15 p.m. in which the new center will be officially presented. Under the direction ofProf. Dr. Mario Pearl,Dr. Stefan TiefenböckandPD Dr. Moritz LeppkesTopics such as the importance of bone density measurements, vitamin D and nutrition are covered. Particularly interesting aspects are the prevention of falls and gentle operations in very old people after femoral neck fractures.

The event will take place in the Medicine Lecture Halls, Ulmenweg 18, in Erlangen. Admission is free and registration is not required. The lecture will also be recorded and available in the media library one week after the event. Those interested have the opportunity to contact Prof. Dr. Mario Perl by calling 09131 85-33272 or by email at uc-ortho(at)uk-erlangen.de.

Fall prevention as a global issue

The topic of fall prevention is of great relevance worldwide. A current guideline published by the German Society for Geriatrics, provides evidence-based recommendations for preventing and treating falls. This initiative brings together 96 scientists from 39 countries to reach a global consensus. In Germany there are around 500,000 hospital admissions due to falls every year. It is estimated that early prevention could reduce these admissions by 20 percent.

The new falls guidelines call for a person-centered approach and recommend conducting annual surveys by general practitioners about falls and fall risks. Individual prevention programs must also be created, especially for older people with frailties. The connection between the new guidelines and the work of the Geriatric Trauma Center in Erlangen shows that the topic is not only important regionally, but also nationally and internationally. This includes calling for a national action plan to promote precise fall prevention programs.

In summary, it can be said that the concepts for fall prevention and the necessary care structures must be given greater focus in the future in order to do justice to the growing number of affected older people.