Geriatrics (Part-1) : Introduction

What is geriatrics? It is refers to medical care for the elderly an age group that is not easy to define precisely. The age group above 65 comes under Geriatric group. The older we get our muscle mass decreases, muscles become less toned and rigid. These changes are normal with growing age. Muscle loss with aging is also call Sarcopenia. Physically inactive people can lose as much as 3% to 5% of their muscle mass each decade after 40. Sarcopenia faster around the age 75.

Geriatric care management is also called Elder care management. It is the process of problem in planning, coordination with physical, mental impairment and/or Social. The common Problems in elderly are more than half of the people of age 65 and older have one or more medical problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, or high blood pressure, Osteoporosis, Influenza and Pneumonia, Obesity, Depression ect.

Assessment includes:

Medical profile assessment, an assessment of ADLs ( Activities of daily living) and IADLs (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living), Fall risk assessment, Mini Mental state examination(MMSE), Cognitive assessment, Balance assessment, and Gait assessment etc. in addition blood sugar test, Cardiopulmonary, Gastrointestinal, Musculoskeletal, eye/ear/nose/throat etc, should be done.

Geriatrics is known for its team approach to caring for older people and supporting their families and other caregivers.

The geriatrics care team may include the following professionals:

• Nurse

• Physician assistant/Medical assistance

• Social worker

• Nutritionist

• Occupational therapist

• Physical therapist

• Speech and hearing specialist

• Geriatric psychiatrist

These professionals evaluate the older person’s Medical, Social, Emotional, and other needs. The team also focuses on health concerns common in older people such as falls, memory problems, and managing multiple conditions and medications.

The geriatrics team: Evaluates the patient’s social supports and living situation n Considers the person’s ability to perform daily activities such as Bathing, Dressing and Eating Gives special attention to patient preferences and values in care planning

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