Situation · Senior emergency in Berlin
Senior emergency house call Berlin
Senior emergency house call Berlin is an occasion for a private medical home visit, for which RAB Arztbesuche dispatches a licensed physician to your home, office or hotel in Berlin daily from 6 am to midnight.
When an elderly relative suddenly becomes confused, falls, has chest tightness, develops shortness of breath or just seems 'somehow not themselves', the question is rarely 'which pill' but 'how serious is it really'. We come to the home or care facility, examine patiently, run ECG and rapid tests on site, and decide together with you — home care or hospital referral.
Medically reviewed by Susanne Reiche · Last reviewed
Senior in trouble — and the GP only reachable Monday
The most common situation in which relatives call us in the evening, at the weekend or on a holiday: 'My mother is 84, lives alone in Steglitz, speaks confusedly today, the GP is unreachable, we don't want to send her to the ER.' That is exactly what we are for. In elderly patients a hospital visit is rarely harmless — confusion worsens in unfamiliar surroundings, long waits in emergency rooms add to the load, and complications like delirium and pressure sores threaten. A solid medical assessment at home resolves about 70 % of our geriatric calls on site — without hospital referral.
Our geriatric case contains a 12-lead ECG, pulse oximeter, blood-pressure monitor with atrial-fibrillation detection, rapid tests for urinary infection (the most common cause of acute confusion in seniors), influenza, RSV, SARS-CoV-2, CRP, blood glucose, antiemetics, analgesia, first-line antihypertensives and antibiotics for empirical first-dose use in suspected pneumonia and urinary infection. We take time — a geriatric assessment is not a seven-minute consult but often 45 minutes. History including medication list, full physical examination, fall-risk assessment, cognitive screening, skin inspection.
Typical geriatric emergencies in Berlin
Acute confusion (delirium, almost always with a trigger: urinary infection, pneumonia, electrolyte derangement, pain, new medication), fall without obvious injury (question: hip fracture, head trauma, cause of syncope), sudden dyspnoea, chest tightness of unclear origin, hypertensive crisis, syncope, acute pain of unknown source, febrile infection without an obvious focus, acute incontinence with suspected urinary infection, generic decline ('Mum is not herself'). These nonspecific presentations are the rule rather than the exception in elderly patients and require experienced clinical judgement.
Care home, own apartment, family abroad
We visit care homes (with or without a contracted physician) and private apartments. For patients whose relatives live outside Berlin or abroad, phone involvement is standard — son in Hamburg, daughter in Munich, granddaughter in London, sister in Tel Aviv. We take time to align the clinical picture, the treatment options and the decision (home care versus hospital) with all relevant family members. On request, relatives receive a brief written summary after the visit with diagnosis, findings, treatment and follow-up recommendation.
How a senior house call works
You call — as a relative, a carer or the senior themselves. We record symptoms, address, medication list (if known) and insurance. We give a realistic arrival window — for acute symptoms we prioritise. The physician calls before arrival. On site: detailed history (also from relatives or carers), thorough examination, ECG, diagnostics, clinical assessment.
You get a clear decision: home care with treatment (e.g. antibiotic for UTI with delirium, analgesia after a fall, antihypertensive for hypertensive crisis), follow-up next day, or hospital referral with a concrete recommendation of a suitable Berlin hospital (geriatric experience preferred: Charité-Geriatrie, Vivantes-Geriatrie). If needed we organise patient transport or call the emergency service. Prescription, sick note for caring relatives, GOÄ invoice.
Cost, PKV and privately insured seniors
All services are billed under the GOÄ via our Privatärztliche Verrechnungsstelle. Typical cost for a geriatric house call with detailed examination, ECG, rapid tests and treatment: EUR 260 to 420. Weekend, holiday and night surcharges as per GOÄ. PKV reimburses fully. For Beihilfe-entitled retired civil servants, Beihilfe and supplementary insurance together cover the full bill.
Self-paying families receive a transparent invoice. For repeat visits (short follow-ups over two to three days), the GOÄ continuation code applies at reduced cost. For life-threatening emergencies in seniors too: 112. We are the complementary alternative for acute but not immediately life-threatening situations — exactly the area that occurs most often in the elderly.
Emergency? Dial the emergency number
If unconscious, with severe chest pain, breathlessness or heavy bleeding, dial 112 immediately. Our service complements the emergency services — it does not replace them.
Case profiles
Typical scenarios
84-year-old widow in Steglitz, sudden confusion
Lives alone, daughter calls from Cologne. We arrive Saturday evening, urine dipstick strongly positive, clinical picture of UTI-induced delirium. First-dose antibiotic, hydration plan, fall-prophylaxis advice, daughter involved by phone, return visit Sunday. After 48 hours clinically much clearer.
Fall after syncope in Wilmersdorf
78-year-old fell in the living room, no loss of consciousness per wife but brief dimming. ECG shows new second-degree AV block, no fractures clinically, but syncope work-up required. Planned referral to a Berlin hospital with cardiology, patient transport organised, pacemaker fitted 48 hours later.
Care-home resident in Marzahn, febrile respiratory infection
89-year-old, carer calls at 10 PM, respiratory rate 24, SpO2 90 %. RSV rapid test positive, suspected pneumonia. First-dose antibiotic, oxygen via the home's concentrator, close monitoring agreed with care staff, hospital referral coordinated for the morning.
Hypertensive crisis in Reinickendorf
82-year-old, wife calls, BP 210/115, headache, visual disturbance. ECG without acute findings, first-line antihypertensive, 45 minutes' observation down to 165/90, clear behavioural rules, GP appointment Monday, prescription for medication adjustment. Family reassured.
Frequently asked questions
Do you also visit care homes?
Yes. We visit all Berlin care homes — regardless of whether the home has a contracted physician. We coordinate with the carer on site and inform the home's regular physician on request.
Can we call you from abroad as relatives?
Yes. Daughter in London, son in New York, sister in Tel Aviv — we take the booking, drive out, call back after the visit and send a brief written summary on request.
What if hospital admission is needed?
We organise the referral, name a suitable Berlin hospital (geriatric expertise where available), write the physician's letter and coordinate with the family. For acute emergency we call the ambulance service — you are not alone.
How is your visit different from 116117?
The statutory on-call service 116117 is the official point of contact for statutory-insured patients. We are the private alternative — substantially shorter waiting time, more detailed examination, and full GOÄ diagnostics on site.
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