Issue Date: January 29, 2006
Get special treatment
A geriatrician's fresh evaluation might help your aging parents.
Geriatric medicine is a specialty dedicated to treating the elderly. The United States has about 7,600 geriatric specialists, or geriatricians, and based on demographics, we need another 14,000 of them. Unfortunately, this means all seniors can't receive care from geriatricians. That's the bad news.
Talk to your aging parents' doctor. He might suggest adding a geriatrician as part of their health care team.
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Here's the good news: Many family physicians and internists are adept at dealing with seniors.
When is it time to see a specialist? Because of their additional training, geriatricians may pick up on subtle clues that less experienced physicians could miss. This is clearly advantageous for an elderly person who has multiple chronic health conditions requiring close follow-up. Geriatricians and their staffs also work with social services, family members, church groups and other specialists to provide a more holistic approach to patient care. Lots of physicians do this, but geriatric specialists tend to be more plugged in to groups that work with the elderly.
Seniors who have complicated chronic medical conditions but good relationships with their primary care doctors should discuss with them whether a geriatric consultation would be beneficial. People with unresponsive conditions or unexpected downturns despite treatment should consider visiting a geriatrician. Sometimes a fresh evaluation by an expert who understands the challenges the elderly face can resolve difficult medical conditions.
Tedd Mitchell, M.D., is medical director of the Wellness Program at Dallas' Cooper Clinic.
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