By for Summit Medical Group

By Joy Pierce Mathews for Summit Medical Group

Geriatrics (or geriatric medicine) focuses on eldercare. It involves preventing, diagnosing, and treating health problems in older adults.

Geriatricians are doctors who specialize in and are sensitive to a wide range of health concerns and social issues associated with the elderly, including:

• Multiple diseases and conditions
• Chronic diseases and conditions
• Symptoms from multiple medications

Doctors who specialize in geriatric medicine are adept at caring for elderly patients. They are first trained and board certified in either family medicine or internal medicine. Geriatricians then have additional training in geriatric medicine.

Physicians who are experts in caring for the elderly consider their patients as a whole. For example, geriatricians examine a patient’s medical history to determine how previous illnesses or conditions interact to affect current health; they determine whether their patients have necessary social support from family, friends, and the community; and they inquire about and make recommendations for living conditions. They also assess a patient’s ability to perform activities of daily living and make recommendations to help older patients and their families adjust to and manage changes that come with aging.

“Geriatricians work closely with other physicians to ensure their patients get comprehensive care,” says Summit Medical group geriatrician John A. Heath, MD, AGSF. “For example,” adds Dr. Heath, “a geriatrician often partners with a urologist to help patients with incontinence, a neurologist to help patients with memory problems, and an ear specialist for patients with hearing and balance problems. Most importantly,” Dr. Heath emphasizes, “geriatricians work with a team of professionals who are trained in and dedicated to eldercare.”

Geriatrics teams include health professionals with advanced training, certifications, and expertise in geriatrics, including:

• Nurses
• Social workers and care managers
• Pharmacists
• Physical therapists
• Occupational therapists
• Nutritionists
• Occupational therapists
• Mental health professionals with expertise in depression and memory problems in the elderly

As leader of the geriatrics team, the geriatrician examines records from each member of the geriatrics team to determine the best possible treatment and develop care plans that meet the needs of the older patient.

Who Should See a Geriatrician?
“Many older adults who have health problems that are getting worse (also known as functional decline) can benefit from the care of a geriatrician," says Dr. Heath. "For example, specialists treat each health condition separately; but a geriatrician helps address a patient's overall health care needs with consideration for the goals of both the patient and family."

Although most people who need geriatric care tend to be age 75 or older, patients should see a geriatrician if they:

• Cannot perform normal activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating
• Are becoming frail or forgetful
• Have more than 1 worsening condition or disease that might require a change in living situation
• Seek care to control symptoms (palliative care) and manage multiple chronic conditions in advanced stages
• Fear they are becoming a burden to family and friends

Data from the American Geriatrics Society show that older people who receive care from a geriatrician do better at maintaining their ability to engage in normal activities and spend less time in hospitals and nursing homes.¹
 

Summit Medical Group Geriatric Services
offers comprehensive care for anyone needing an expert
in caring for the elderly.

For more information or to schedule an appointment,
please call us today
at 908-277-8683.

Reference
Fact Sheet: The American Geriatrics Society (AGS). The American Geriatrics Society. www.americangeriatrics.org/about_us/who_weare/faq_fact_sheet/. Accessed November 7, 2011.