What is Geriatrics?

In the medical jargon, Geriatrics means Medicine of Aging. It is called as the science of ageing including health of the elderly, in the whole world.

 

 

Geriatrics in Medicine?

Geriatrics in Medicine; it is a scientific field comprised of scientific practices, which envisage leading a life without getting excluded from the society as well as treatment based on multi dimensional assessments, prevention of diseases and preservation of health, in the later phase of life.

Team Work in Geriatrics

Elderly individuals are the ones who are intensively exposed to the complex effects of various interactive factors on healthiness and functional capacity. So, the approach to be taken towards this age group differs from other branches in that it requires not only medical but also psychological, socioeconomic, environmental and familial assessments and the like. For this reason, geriatrics emerges as an approach which necessitates collaboration of various branches.
In this regard, in accordance with needs of an elderly patient, some or all experts, specialized in their fields, may have to take place in the geriatric assessment team.
Team head is Geriatrist , who has specialized in prevention and treatment of multiple and complex problems of elderly individuals. As for other team members, they are specialists such as a Nurse, a Social Worker, a Physiotherapist, a Workshop Therapist, a Dietician, a Psychotherapist and a Pharmacologist. Meanwhile, it should be kept in mind that in case an elderly individual does not have a capacity to make a decision about himself or herself, then, his or her relatives are irreplaceable members of the team, too.
Each team member, in accordance with his or her expertise, evaluates elderly individual generally. Later, team members get together to discuss the individual with all aspects of his or her problems and determine a treatment and a follow-up plan, commonly decided by all branches, which will enable the individual to maintain the ability to perform his or her daily activities independently at the highest level. Here, although geriatrist heads the team work, it is important to emphasize the fact that all team members are experts of their fields and have important roles in evaluation and treatment of elderly individuals.

Who needs geriatric evaluation?

In order to provide proper health service, evaluation of the fact that how aging and diseases affect physical, mental and social functions of an individual becomes of importance.
Aging has various definitions. Among these, social aging, aging in social terms, differs from one society to another according to cultural status and social features. In modern sense, it refers to retirement period in which individual accomplishes active working period and leads his or her life through social security means or personal incomes. According to this definition, many western countries accept age 65 as the geriatric age limit though it does not constitute a certain line in terms of aging. The individuals reaching this age limit may develop chronic diseases at various levels and dysfunctions as result of these diseases. While some eldery people do not have any problems, some do have serious health problems.