[The human dignity of elderly people admitted to geriatric wards].

A testament to longevity, old age is a time of great vulnerability. An ageing and ailing body often weakens the immune system and leaves a person susceptible to illness. Ageing therefore presents a challenge for the medical profession, which addresses it through a specialised branch of medicine: geriatrics. In this field of medicine for older people, which focuses on health and quality of life, the medical profession has both positive and negative legal obligations aimed at protecting dignity.