How to Figure Out What a Geriatrician Is

The population of the United States is aging quickly. Many of the Baby Boomers, those born in the post-World War II years, have reached the age of 65 and are now officially senior citizens, facing the health problems that age brings. Doctors who tend to the elderly are geriatricians. There is a vast need for this type of physician because the clientele keeps increasing.

Instructions

What a Geriatrician Does

• 1

  Specializing in the care of older people, who have specific problems that younger people do not encounter, geriatricians are either trained as internal medicine physicians or family practitioners, and receive additional training in the care of the elderly or in the field of geriatrics.

• 2

  Treating the unique medical needs of the elderly, which are significantly different from that of younger patients, is what the geriatrician has expertise in. Older people often take many medications and have multiple health problems, which the geriatrician must manage.

• 3

  Looking for signs that often accompany aging, such as depression, memory loss, heart disease and hypertension, the geriatrician often takes a holistic approach when dealing with seniors because there are many factors that can be contributing to their patient's health problems and mental well-being. The geriatrician may review medications and check vision.

• 4

  Focusing on pharmacotherapy for elderly people, which can enhance their quality of life or cure or palliate (mitigate intensity of) a disease, is another important role of the geriatrician. Prescribing medications for elderly people requires taking into consideration their social and psychological function, their overall health and their physical functioning. An 85-year-old probably doesn't need the same medication as a 25-year-old but, if he does, he may need it in different doses or amounts because of his aged metabolism and other factors.

• 5

  Understand that geriatrics is an area of medicine that focuses on the care of the elderly who are sick, while gerontology includes health care in addition to an emphasis on illness prevention, quality of life, health maintenance and assisting the elderly person so that he can maintain a good state of health. Sometimes the practice of geriatrics and gerontology entails helping a person die with ease and dignity.