There is a significant movement to analyze the “frailty” of patients rather than just their age to get a more accurate view. Focusing on need and capacity can be more productive in providing support to older adults than considering age only as an indicator of health. This approach has already been adopted in some areas of medicine, as reflected in some initiatives that offer support to older adults at a younger age than what is normally considered to be the elderly. An example is the Comprehensive Care Programs for the Elderly (PACE) in the United States, which have a minimum age of 55.8.There is a significant movement to analyze the “frailty” of patients rather than just the age to better understand the needs of the group.9 Frailty means that a person may be less likely to recover smoothly from accidents and illnesses. Frailty is not unique to older adults, but all older adults are at risk of developing it, especially those with other conditions.
9.The age limit (65 to 70) used to define “geriatrics” is arbitrary and is based on factors such as eligibility for Medicare and social security. In practice, there is no age at which a patient is considered “older”; therefore, in theory, “geriatric deficits can also have implications for younger patients. In this study, we analyzed the frequency of gastroenterial deficits identified in younger patients and examined the value of this tool in a sample that includes both younger people (. Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on addressing the unique health needs of older adults.
The term geriatrics comes from the Greek word geron, meaning old man, and α iatros, meaning healer. Its objective is to promote health through the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases in older adults. Older adults may be healthy, but they are more likely to have chronic health problems and to need more medical care. There is no definite age after which patients can be under the care of a geriatrician or a geriatric doctor, a doctor who specializes in the care of elderly people.
Rather, this decision is guided by the individual needs of patients and the care structures available to them. This care can benefit those who are managing multiple chronic conditions or who suffer from significant age-related complications that endanger the quality of daily life. Geriatric care may be appropriate if care responsibilities become increasingly stressful or medically complex for family members and caregivers to manage independently. Training at some institutes is exclusive to the Department of Geriatric Medicine, with rotations in internal medicine, medical subspecialties, etc.
In the UK, most geriatricians are hospital doctors, while others focus on community geriatrics in particular. The word “elderly” is more commonly used to describe a person's age or to group older people according to their age, while geriatric is considered a more medicalized term. The geriatric perspective emphasizes prevention, taking into account lifestyle factors that promote healthy cognitive aging (Steffens, 201). The age of 70 should be considered as an appropriate limit for considering that a patient is elderly in future trauma studies and development of criteria for classification of geriatric injuries.
Who are board certified in family medicine or internal medicine and who have also acquired the additional training necessary to obtain the Certificate of Additional Qualifications (CAQ) in geriatric medicine. Even just in terms of age, without considering other factors, older adults can vary significantly. The increase in the average age in many countries makes this especially important, as more and more people need access to comprehensive, high-quality geriatric medicine. Falls are the leading cause of emergency room admissions and hospitalizations for adults age 65 and older, many of which result in significant injuries and permanent disabilities. Geriatric providers receive specialized training to care for older patients and promote healthy aging.
These include the MMSE, the Montreal cognitive assessment and the GERRI (geriatric assessment using a family member rating instrument), which is a diagnostic tool for rating cognitive function, social function and mood in geriatric patients. There were no significant differences between age cohorts in terms of PKS, falls, depression, vision, limitations of social activity, and tangible (instrumental) or emotional social support reported by patients.
