Welcome to the pages of the division of Geriatric Medicine!

The division of Geriatric Medicine is part of the Geriatric Medicine Center in Oldenburg led by Prof. Dr. med. Tania Zieschang. The center consists of the University Clinic for Geriatric Medicine at the Universitätsklinik für Geriatrie am Klinikum Oldenburg, the Geriatric Medicine Clinic at the Oldenburg Rehabilitation Center  Klinik für Geriatrie am Rehazentrum Oldenburg and the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the Department of Health Services Research at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg. The scientific focus of the division is on exercise promotion, training and fall prevention in older people with and without cognitive impairment.

A major focus of the division in the field of exercise promotion in older adults is the so-called perturbation training in which disturbances of gait are provoked during walking. With innovative technology, this is now also possible on a treadmill. The Division of Geriatrics Medicine maintains a perturbation treadmill in the gait laboratory of the University of Oldenburg and one in the Oldenburg Rehabilitation Center. Under standardized and safe conditions, participants can be brought to the limits of their balance control, which must be counteracted by an adequate response. This allows a specific training of movement patterns that are necessary to respond adequately to a loss of balance or slip or trip. There is evidence, that even a few training sessions can reduce the risk of falls in older people. However, optimal intensity, frequency and duration of training to prevent future falls is still unclear, especially in vulnerable groups.

People with dementia are at an especially high risk of falls an falls related injury. However, many studies, especially those implementing exercise interventions, exclude people with dementia. One goal of the Division of Geriatric Medicine is to include people with dementia in the different studies.

The various projects of the Division of Geriatric Medicine can be found here.