Do I need a Geriatrician?

We all understand why there are pediatricians and why we need them. Children are a challenge, they often cannot express themselves, they are frightened of doctors and they don’t always understand the concept that something may be painful today and yet necessary.

What many people are not so aware of is why it is that we need geriatricians. Aren’t the elderly just “old adults”? Haven’t “regular internists” handled the older patients well enough? And who really wants to be considered old? Does going to a geriatrician mean that I have to admit that I am old, weak and maybe unwanted? How old do I have to be to see a geriatrician, anyway?

All these are legitimate questions.

Yes, of course, most internists are doing a great job managing the elderly – as a matter of fact geriatricians are internists themselves. However, the geriatricians have decided to focus on the care of the elderly and to understand the special needs of this population.

Now, what is OLD? Is 65 old? 85? 100? Well, I guess, we can all agree that 100 is pretty old. Nowadays, we consider people 65-74 the “young old”, 75 to 84 the “middle old” and above 85 the “oldest old”. Overall, we are moving away from looking at the number alone. A number may just be a number. There are 93 year-olds out there that are highly active in their communities, involved with friends and families and even enjoy a healthy sexual relationship with their partner. I know it; I have met them.

Ok then, back to our question: do I need to see a Geriatrician? What benefit do I get from that?

Internists know about the issues surrounding the care of elderly, however, they are often very limited in their time and may not be able to address certain topics with you.

Aside from the typical “medical stuff” a geriatrician will explore some of the following:

•        What is your level of functioning?
•        Are you supported in your home?
•        Is your home safe?
•        Are you able to get around?
•        Have you fallen? Are you afraid of falling?
•        Has your vision and hearing been checked lately?
•        Do you have problems holding your urine?
•        Do you suffer from subtle or obvious depression?
•        Are you taking too many medications? Can we reduce some of your medications? Should you not take certain medications?
•        How is your memory? Is it still “normal” for your age or may you suffer from dementia?
•        Have you thought about the end of your life? Do you have certain hopes and wishes? How can these wishes be respected?

These are just some of the things.

Do they need a Geriatrician?

In this blog I want to address these topics and others that might interest you (please, feel free to ask questions and suggest topics you would like discussed).

If you ask me, it is a great idea to see a geriatrician. You may be pleasantly surprised. You may also continue to see your internist as your primary care physician and a geriatrician for a consultation. Anything goes.

I thank you for your attention and I am hoping to have you come back to this site again soon.

Be well,

Dr. B