Geriatrics
As we age, our bodies go through numerous health changes that demand specific and personalized care. The field of geriatrics is concerned with tending to the unique healthcare needs common in older people. In the past century, the older population has been growing constantly worldwide. In the United States, more than 49 million people are above the age of 65. This figure is anticipated to increase significantly in the next ten years.
Aging is inevitable and also irreversible. Organ function declines over the years, even in the absence of an illness and injury. Due to the decrease in immunity, older people become more susceptible to certain conditions, which, while not fatal, can reduce the quality of life. Among health conditions common in older people include diabetes, heart conditions, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and high blood pressure. Bone mass also decreases with age, which makes older people frail and more susceptible to falls and injuries.
What Entails Geriatric Care?
Just like pediatrics is concerned with caring for young children, geriatrics encompass diagnosing, treating, and managing health conditions common in older people. With decreasing physiological capacity, more senior adults become vulnerable to illnesses and injuries. Geriatric care ensures older people lead a healthy, comfortable, and quality life by providing them with the support they need. This support ranges from helping them with their daily activities like cleaning and feeding to prescribing and administering medication like pain medications and monitoring their health progress. The main goal of geriatric care is to provide quality care and support to older people, prevent and detect chronic illness at an early stage, improve and manage health conditions, prevent deterioration, and maximize their level of functionality.
Who provides Geriatric care?
Physicians, doctors, pharmacists, social workers, nurses, mental health professionals, and healthcare professionals can specialize in geriatrics. Geriatric care integrates a team of different specialists, all working as a team to provide comprehensive care. Family, friends, and caregivers are also involved significantly in caring for their loved ones. Some careers that focus on caring for older people include Podiatrists, dieticians, geriatricians, geriatric psychiatrists, geriatric pharmacists, occupational therapists, geriatric physicians, and geriatric nurses.
Geriatric care can be offered in various settings. Older people with chronic conditions requiring immediate and complex care might be required to remain in hospitals for closer monitoring. However, most of them prefer in-home care services where they are comfortable and close to their families. While aging is inevitable and irreversible, geriatric care ensures that aging and the conditions that come with it don’t hinder one from leading a happy and quality life.
References
Ribeiro, Patricia Cruz Pontifice Sousa Valente, Rita Margarida Dourado Marques, and Marta Pontifice Ribeiro. “Geriatric care: ways and means of providing comfort.” Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem 70.4 (2017): 830-837.
Patel, Dipesh, and Richard J. Ackermann. “Issues in Geriatric Care: Falls.” FP essentials 468 (2018): 18-25.
Tinetti, Mary, Allen Huang, and Frank Molnar. “The geriatrics 5M’s: a new way of communicating what we do.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 65.9 (2017): 2115-2115.

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