Geriatrics is the specialty that focuses on the high-quality, person-centered care that we all need as we age.
Geriatric
medicine is a subspecialty that deals with conditions affecting older adults. This includes a primary care doctor, known as a geriatrician or gerontologist, who has different knowledge and skills related to caring for older adults. Geriatric medicine is a specialty that focuses on diseases of aging and on problems that they arise with advanced age.A geriatric doctor is called a geriatrician and usually treats people over the age of 60, understanding the impact of medical conditions and medications on older adults. As healthcare becomes more complex with age, the geriatrician can explain how different medical conditions affect each other. Geriatric care refers to a comprehensive health care system for older patients that focuses on managing chronic diseases, promoting function, and optimizing quality of life in later years. It involves evaluating the impact of multiple complex diseases on a patient's life and addressing issues related to aging, mortality and care at the end of life.
Geriatric care is a specialized branch of health care that focuses on meeting the diverse medical, psychological and social needs of older adults. Its main objectives are to promote healthy aging, effectively control chronic diseases and improve the overall quality of life of older people. Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty that focuses on addressing the unique health needs of older adults. The term geriatrics has its origin in the Greek, geriatric, geron, meaning old man, and 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 caring for the elderly. 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 are experiencing 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. While geriatricians specialize in caring for older adults, there is no certain age at which a person should automatically switch to a geriatrician. Diseases interact with the pure effects of aging and cause complications typical of geriatrics (now called geriatric syndromes), especially in weak-link systems, even when those organs are not the main ones affected by Illness.
Training at some institutes is exclusive to the Department of Geriatric Medicine, with rotations in internal medicine, medical subspecialties, etc. Geriatric syndromes are a term used to describe a group of clinical conditions that have a high prevalence in older people. Geriatrics is highly interdisciplinary and consists of professionals specialized in the fields of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work, and physical and occupational therapy. Geriatric care managers, often health professionals in gerontology, social work or nursing, have in-depth knowledge of health services, costs and accessibility.
Rather, geriatric practice is a comprehensive system of care for older patients that incorporates the principles of adult medicine, modifies these principles to adapt to aging-related changes (box 1), and uses an interdisciplinary approach when necessary. Geriatric medicine, also known as geriatrics, is a specialized field that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disabilities in older adults. Geriatric care encompasses several essential aspects designed to address specific health needs and improve overall quality of life. Geriatric providers receive specialized training to care for older patients and promote healthy aging.
Managing geriatric care involves coordinating and planning care for older adults who face functional limitations or specific medical needs. Geriatricians receive extensive training similar to that of primary care physicians, with two additional years of specialized education specifically designed for the complex health needs of older patients. The aging process may cause older adults to require specific care management, which is where geriatric medicine and health professionals are essential.
