The Elderly Need Geriatric Specialists

Dan Frith

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The elderly have special medical needs. Their medical histories are often complex (diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, dementia, heart attacks, strokes, etc.) and their medication list is long. Many internal medicine doctors and family practitioners are poorly trained to properly care for the elderly and have little knowledge of the effects of the combination of multiple drugs...also called polypharmacy.

This is where a geriatric specialist comes in. A geriatrician has training in family medicine or internal medicine and then has gained additional experience in a geriatrics residency or fellowship program focusing on the medical needs of the elderly. They also must take and pass a written examination.

My Take: If your mother, father, spouse. or other loved one is elderly...find a local geriatric specialist to serve as their primary physician. A good place to start looking is the American Geriatrics Society. Take advantage of the extra training and experience of a geriatric medical specialist. You will be very glad you did!