This study describes the results of contacting 260 subjects aged 70 and over in their homes. All were offered a questionnaire concerning medical and social needs by a health visitor. Of these, 246 answered the questionnaire and 200 also agreed to be seen by a geriatrician. The findings, together with the family doctors' knowledge of the subjects, are compared and it is concluded that the use of the questionnaire by a nurse provides a reliable, adequate screening procedure for the elderly in the community.