Geriatric care is the specialized care and treatment given to seniors. The baby boomer generation is now entering its senior years, and therefore the senior population will show a massive increase in the years to come. As a result of the demographic bulge in the senior population, geriatric care has become essential to every family.
When Does a Senior Need a Geriatrician?
As seniors get older, they may develop some health complications and disabilities. Although not every senior has these health concerns, most of them struggle with memory loss, incontinence, frequent falls, and general body weakness. Some of these health concerns can be dealt with by your family physician, especially if they have the skills to deal with a senior. However, if the senior is frail and has complicated health issues, it might be the right time to see a geriatrician.
According to the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), caretakers and seniors should consult the services of a geriatrician if:
- The senior is experiencing frailty and impairment due to their age, and this mostly occurs in seniors who have mental problems and multiple illnesses.
- The senior’s condition is putting too much stress and strain on the caretaker and other family members.
Importance of Geriatric Specialists for Seniors
As people grow older, they face many health challenges that were not in existence before. They experience a decline in perceptual systems, develop poor eyesight, their hearing becomes impaired, and lack coordination. This is also the time that the neurological issues begin or start worsening. They experience a strain while going on with their daily activities, and when this starts to happen, the services of a geriatrician become a necessity.
A geriatrician can be of benefit to your health in the following ways:
Managing multiple medical problems
Geriatricians have a team of experts who focus on helping seniors suffering from multiple medical problems. The team includes other primary care providers and specialists. Your geriatrician will coordinate your overall care with other specialists to develop a treatment plan that will benefit you. Some of the health problems that the team will help you manage include urinary tract infections, arthritis, COPD, dementia, among others.
Help seniors lead longer lifespans
Since people started using geriatricians’ services, the life expectancy for newborns in the U.S has shot from 68 years in 1950 to 78 years currently. This trend is expected to continue growing in the years to come, with the population of people over 80 years doubling in the next 20 years.
Some people have always led a healthy lifestyle all their lives, but there is still a need for extra care as the bodies start aging to get longer lifespans. The seniors have a high likelihood of experiencing acute episodes. It may become harder to manage chronic illnesses without geriatric care. Therefore, to lead longer lifespans, seniors need the care of geriatric specialists.
Help to manage multiple medications
When a senior is diagnosed with multiple medical conditions, they are expected to take numerous drugs. When our bodies become old, we take longer to break down the prescription drugs. A geriatrician specialist is trained to identify the side effects of the prescriptions and how the drugs interact in the senior. The geriatrician will also help in prioritizing the necessary drugs and those that can be skipped.
They do not need to treat all the active medical conditions being experienced by the patient with medications. Their training helps them prioritize the conditions that need medications to make the most of the well-being and physical functioning of the senior.
Assist with mental decline
Seniors often experience mental decline and lose their cognitive ability. However, some symptoms may show common illnesses, including depression and Alzheimer’s. A geriatrician specialist is trained to identify the signs of normal aging and the signs of critical diseases and differentiate between them. After a diagnosis, the geriatric specialist can provide the senior with the most appropriate treatment for their illness.
Advising the caretakers
Taking care of a senior with health issues can be very stressful, tiring, and confusing especially if you do not know what to do and how to help them. Seniors require help with their day-to-day activities, including taking showers, dressing, using the toilet, and other activities. Geriatrician specialists can help you as the caretaker find the appropriate aid and support you need from specialists like care managers and home aides. Also read What is Palliative Care?.
Home visits
Geriatric specialists can provide the seniors with conventional medical treatment in their homes for those who are unable to leave their homes. The geriatrician visits your home, assesses the patient, and offers prescriptions in case of any health conditions. The geriatrician can also provide mental assessments at home to evaluate the condition of the senior.
Time
A geriatrician will usually schedule a longer appointment with the patient to ensure that they get ample time to discuss every medical condition the patient is suffering from. Geriatric specialists are exceptional primary caregivers who focus on a patient’s wellness and preventive health and manage chronic diseases.
As a caretaker, you must choose the best geriatrician for the senior. Some of the factors you need to consider before choosing one include training, accessibility, communication, and philosophy.
Conclusion
Geriatric specialists are necessary for taking care of the needs of seniors. As people age, how their bodies interact with various conditions and drugs changes. Geriatric specialists work as a team with other primary care providers to ensure that the older patients suffering from multiple health complications are well cared for. Therefore, if you are a caretaker, it is essential that you schedule an appointment with a geriatric specialist who will help you find a way forward and provide the best hospice care for the senior.