Geriatric doctors, also called geriatricians, specialize in caring for ag ing adults who often have complex medical issues. They focus particularly on keeping you functional and helping you maintain your quality of life. Geriatric doctors understand caregivers’ roles and work with family members, too.
Geriatric doctors diagnose and treat issues that affect older adults. Their patients often have one or more chronic health issues. The National Council on Aging reports that 80% of older adults have at least one chronic disease, and 68% have at least two.
While a geriatrician will generally manage your overall care, they also work with others on your health care team, such as:
Older people are often on several medications for different ailments. For this reason, geriatric doctors are highly knowledgeable about drug side effects and interactions.
Geriatric doctors have expertise in many of the age-related conditions and illnesses that older adults face. Conditions geriatricians commonly treat include:
Aging people often develop balance and mobility problems. As such, geriatric doctors treat a lot of falls. Three out of 10 people over the age of 70 fall each year, and 90% of broken hips in people over 70 result from falls. Fortunately, there are ways geriatric doctors can help lessen your risk of falling.
All physicians seeing older patients should perform a fall assessment. This tool helps geriatric doctors discover and address your fall risk factors, which can include medications you take and conditions such as: