Elderly is a term used to describe older people, while geriatric refers to a specialized field of medicine and science. Despite being descriptive, “older people” can generalize excessively and lack the details that are often needed for both medical treatment and research. The term “geriatric” is often misunderstood, but it plays a crucial role in healthcare. Its scope is specific to the care of the elderly, unlike other medical practices. Geriatric care focuses on the unique needs and challenges of older adults, and sets it apart from standard adult care.
This discipline encompasses a wide range of services, from preventive care to the treatment of complex medical conditions common in old age.
Physicians who specialize in geriatrics and who are usually certified in internal medicine receive specialized training in medical school to learn how to manage care for the elderly.
The goal of geriatricians is to provide treatment recommendations that are tailored to the specific needs of older adults. Their specialized training sets them apart from primary care doctors for young adults. Geriatrics is a medical specialty that focuses on health services for the elderly.The purpose of this service is to promote the health of older people by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities in older people. Older people are susceptible to developing geriatric syndrome, which can affect their quality of life. In geriatric care, you receive the same types of quality services that you receive in traditional primary care. In addition, geriatric care focuses on the needs of older adults, usually 65 years of age or older.
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.
In short, while both parental care (the elderly or the elderly) and geriatric care are aimed at supporting older people, the former is broader and includes several aspects of daily life and social support, while the second is a specialized medical field that focuses on the medical and health needs of older adults. In addition, common diseases can occur atypically in elderly patients, adding greater diagnostic and therapeutic complexity to care of patients. In particular, elderly people are subject to polypharmacy (taking several medications) due to the accumulation of multiple chronic diseases. As the name suggests, health care providers (nurses, doctors, and other licensed medical professionals) manage care for the elderly in the patient's home.
Delirium in older people may be due to a minor problem, such as constipation, or to something as serious and deadly as a heart attack. Geriatric care and care for the elderly are different but complementary approaches to supporting the well-being of older adults. While both geriatric and adult care serve mature individuals, there are significant differences between the two. If you or someone you know is considering taking geriatric medications, it's important to understand how it's different from the care normally provided to younger adults.
There are some differences between the elderly and the elderly, although the meaning is almost the same.
Elderly care
services are usually not medical and focus on personal care, companionship and assistance in daily tasks. Understanding the key differences between these two models of care is crucial to ensure that older people receive the most appropriate and comprehensive care. Care for the elderly is usually provided in the person's home or in assisted living facilities, retirement communities, or nursing homes.For example, the Comprehensive Care Program for the Elderly (PACE) sets the age of eligibility starting at 55 for people who meet the necessary requirements to receive the level of care in a nursing home. Geriatric patients, who are often classified as older people, usually older than sixty-five, present unique healthcare challenges. In addition, certain medical conditions may have a greater effect on older people, so that seemingly isolated health problems can lead to more complex conditions. For example, a geriatrician, a doctor who specializes in caring for the elderly, may focus more on treating chronic diseases and less on aggressive interventions.
Adequate training, services, and support can reduce the likelihood of elder abuse, and appropriate care can often identify it.
