The Fascinating prove of Why Elderly People Need a Geriatrician

Changing to a geriatrician may be a smart decision for Elderly people.

In your 60s and 70s, you may spend your days pounding the tennis court, presiding over board meetings, or travelling the world with your grandchildren—activities that seem at odds with the notion that it may be time to switch to a geriatrician.

However, if you are as proactive about your health as you are in other areas of your life, a geriatrician may be the best option. These internists get extra training on how to care for people 65 and older. They look at the "big picture" of each patient to make sure that advice and treatments fit their changing bodies and social situations as they age.

Dr. Suzanne Salamon, clinical chief of gerontology at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, says that a geriatrician may be a better fit for your outlook than a general practitioner, who may see older people as fading away.

Many desire to age in place but fail to plan for it.

While the vast majority of people over the age of 50 desire to remain in their current residences for as long as possible, a recent survey indicates that few have prepared for this "ageing in place" ideal.

In April 2022, 2,277 adults aged 50 to 80 provided online and phone responses for the National Poll on Healthy Aging. It was discovered that 88% of respondents rated home ownership as "very" or "somewhat" important. But only 15% of those who answered had really thought about what changes they might need to make to their homes to be able to age in place, like putting grab bars in the bathroom or making the master bedroom on the first floor.

Dr. Suzanne Salamon, clinical chief of gerontology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, says, "People want to remain in their homes, where everything is familiar." Some people in their 80s have lived in their homes for 50 years, but the stairs in many of these two-or three-story homes are hazardous.

Dr. Salamon says that a geriatrician can help a patient find out what kinds of help are available to them at home and encourage the patient and their family to talk about how to set and reach goals for ageing in place.

Critical evaluation of medicine

With the average life expectancy of American women reaching nearly 83 years today, geriatrics may be more important than ever. The main focus of this specialty is on health problems that become more common as people age, such as falls, hearing loss, incontinence, memory problems, the need to manage multiple medical conditions, and the need to keep track of different medications.

According to the American Geriatrics Society, after the age of 65, more than half of adults typically have three or more chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, or arthritis. And since nearly 90% of adults aged 65 and older take at least one prescription drug—and 54% report taking four or more—Dr. Salamon emphasises the importance of geriatricians focusing on this aspect of ageing.

For each patient, the geriatrician conducts a thorough evaluation of all prescribed and over-the-counter medications and supplements. The goal of this in-depth analysis is to figure out the best doses and find out which drugs may interact with each other or cause dangerous side effects like confusion, weakness, or dizziness.

Dr. Salamon explains that first-time geriatrics patients are instructed to bring their medications in a bag, not just a list. "I'm astounded by how frequently people have duplicate medications in their bag but not on their list, and they have no idea what they're taking."

Benefits outweigh stigma.

Geriatricians are sometimes referred to as "quarterbacks" in the health care industry because they coordinate each patient's treatment with her other specialists and help manage chronic conditions. Dr. Salamon says that specialists may even recommend that patients switch from a general practitioner to a geriatrician to manage their overall care.

Dr. Salamon says, "If there's a problem with a patient, I'll often send an email to all of the other specialists to tell them what I think or to ask for their objections or advice."

If you're having new problems, like losing your memory or falling, you can also ask your primary care doctor to refer you to a geriatrician. Both doctors can work together to help you deal with these problems.

According to Dr. Salamon, geriatricians typically spend 30 minutes or more with patients during visits, which is roughly half the length of the average primary care appointment.

In many cases, a person's own hesitation stands in the way of taking advantage of a geriatrician's services. Despite the fact that nearly 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day, Dr. Salamon acknowledges that geriatric care still carries a "huge stigma." "Baby boomers like what geriatricians do, but dislike the term," she says.