Background:
According to a demographic forecast by the Central Statistical Office, between 2010–2020 the number of population aged 65 and older will increase from 5.2–7 million, and will reach 8.2 million in 2030.

Objective:
The aim of this study was to identify problems associated with nursing and care of patients from geriatric departments.

Material and Methods:
The study included 102 male and female patients aged 68–101, hospitalized at the Department of Geriatrics of the Regional Specialist Hospital in Biała Podlaska. The research instrument was a questionnaire designed by the author and the Barthel scale.

Results:
Deterioration of health (100%) and unavailability of care from close relatives turned out to be the most frequent causes of hospitalization in geriatric patients. More than a half of the respondents reported hand tremor, impaired consciousness, memory problems, dizziness, and headaches. Furthermore, the patients mentioned problems with the maintenance of personal hygiene (70–80%). Usually, the patients and their family members obtained information on medical condition and care from a physician and/or nurse (about 70%). However, most respondents and/or their caregivers expected additional recommendations regarding maintenance of personal hygiene, improvement of physical fitness, and diet.

Conclusions:
Hospitalization of geriatric patients is usually caused by deterioration of their health and unavailability of care from their close relatives. Patients’ concerns include hand tremor, impaired consciousness, memory problems, and problems with the maintenance of personal hygiene. Although patients and/or their family members obtain information on necessary care from physicians and/or nurses, they still expect additional recommendations regarding improvement of physical fitness and diet.