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Top 20 Directory: Top : Health : Senior_Health |
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Sites:
| AAOS On-Line Service: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Public information area includes material about arthritis, osteoporosis, scoliosis, total joint replacement and the prevention of back pain and broken hips. | | AARP Research Center - Health and Long-Term Care: Information, research results and policy insights about access to health care and long-term care; financing care, benefits and services; Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance; managed care and consumer protection; advance directives and ethical issues; malpractice, fraud and abuse. | | Action for Healthy Aging and Elderly Care: The Novartis Foundation for Gerontological Research. Areas of interest to physicians and researchers, other healthcare professionals, and patients. Weekly news updates from Reuter's Health Information. Patient area topics include impaired mobility and nutrition. The Ask the Expert forum is free to view, but does require registration if you wish to participate. | | AgeNet.com: Health and drug information specific to seniors including online senior drugs reviews of commonly prescribed drugs for the elderly. | | Aging Issues Message Board: Forum on the process and affects of aging. | | Aging-PA: Aging Information for PA: Aging information for Pennsylvania with links to long term care, educational programs, senior health sites, and other important issues. | | Avoiding Slips, Trips and Broken Hips: Supports the ongoing UK Department of Trade and Industry campaign on falls prevention aimed at older people in the home. | | ElderHope, LLC: Provides information, support, links and book recommendations to the elderly, their caregivers, and the bereaved. | | Healthy Aging Campaign: National, ongoing, health promotion designed to broaden awareness of the positive aspects of aging and to provide inspiration to adults, ages 50 plus, to improve their physical, mental, social and financial health. | | Helpguide: Lifelong Wellness: Describes the aging process, discusses myths, statistics, and problems, and suggests ways of maintaining health into old age. | | InfoAging.org: Provides research-based information on a wide range of age-related diseases, conditions, issues, features, and news. | | International Year of Older Persons 1999 U.N.: 'Towards a society for all ages.' United Nations/Division for Social Policy and Development. | | Jannsen Eldercare: Information and resources on medical conditions related to aging, health insurance, Medicare, and nursing homes for the health care professional, consumer and caregiver. | | Keiser Institute on Aging: Information on the enhancement of older adult wellness by changing the perceptions of aging and improving the quality of life. | | Latino Gerontological Center: A private, non-profit organization, devoted to improve the quality of life of Hispanic seniors and their communities. | | Lifesphere Retirement Communities: A not-for-profit family of services that offers exceptional retirement community living, home-delivered services, senior centers, a radio station, consulting services in Ohio. | | Lumetra: Information on Medicare for beneficiaries, their families and providers. | | Medicare Rights Center: A not-for-profit organization that is the source for Medicare consumers and Medicare professionals | | Mental Health and Aging: This site will assist older adults and their families in obtaining appropriate mental health and aging services, and teach them how to advocate to get their needs met. | | Native Elder Research Center: Focuses the heath and well being of Native American elders. | | Network Of Care: Community-based resources and tools for seniors, people with disabilities, caregivers and service providers. | | Our Senior Years Health Topics: Articles on multiple health concerns for senior citizens, written by doctors and nurses. | | Pfizer for Living: Offering personalized articles, health management tools and health information. Requires free registration. | | Pro-Ops: Articles on common health conditions in senior citizens. | | Research into Ageing: This national registered charity in the UK furthers medical research in healthy aging at universities, hospitals and medical schools. Current research programs, newsletter, fundraising and links. Free pamphlets. "Exercise for Healthy Ageing" book and "More Active - More Often" video available for purchase. | | Senior Connections: Resources for seniors and their caregivers in Virginia | | Senior Health: Listings on physicians, nutrition, drug trials and caregiver support for seniors. | | Senior Health Week: News and information for seniors. | | Senior One Source: Referral service and magazine designed to help seniors achieve a healthier life. | | Seniors Resource Guide: A guide to senior services and resources on healthcare providers, housing options, emergency services, community resources, and professional articles on aging. | | SeniorWorld Online: A directory of health, fitness, and nutrition for seniors. | | Staying Healthy at 50+: AHRQ consumer information on ways people age 50 and older can stay healthy, tips on living habits, to help prevent disease, screening tests, and immunizations. | | The National Advisory Council on Aging: The NACA is a Canadian federal government organization. | | The Patient Education Forum: The American Geriatrics Society. Aging FAQ. | | Therubins.com: Health, medical and social information of interest to the elderly. | | ThirdAge Health: Starting point for people over 40 for information about a healthy life and life style. | | Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology: Information useful to those interested in geriatrics, the process of aging and services for the elderly. Designed for researchers, educators, practitioners, and the general public. Includes description of programs and courses, calendar of events, and tips. | | When Does Someone Attain Old Age?: The Ohio Department of Aging, Senior Series. SS-101-96. |
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Geriatrics
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Geriatrics is the branch of internal medicine that focuses on health care of the elderly. It aims to promote health and to prevent and treat diseases and disabilities in older adults.
Elderly female in residential care home
There is no set age at which patients may be under the care of a geriatrician.
Rather, this is determined by a profile of the typical problems that
geriatrics focuses on. This includes the so-called 'geriatric giants'
of immobility, instability, incontinence and impaired intellect/memory. Health issues in older adults may also include elderly care, delirium, use of multiple medications, impaired vision and hearing.
The term geriatrics differs from gerontology. This is the study of the aging process itself. The term comes from the Greek geron meaning "old man" and iatros meaning "healer".
Scope
In the United States, geriatricians are primary care physicians who are board-certified in either family practice or internal medicine
and have also acquired the additional training necessary to obtain the
Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in geriatric medicine.
In the United Kingdom, most geriatricians are hospital physicians,
while some focus on community geriatrics. While originally a distinct
clinical specialty, it has been integrated as a specialism of general
medicine since the late 1970s.[1]
Most geriatricians are therefore accredited for both. Specialized
geriatrics services include orthogeriatrics (close cooperation with orthopedic surgery and a focus on osteoporosis and rehabilitation), psychogeriatrics (focus on dementia, delirium, depression
and other conditions common in the elderly), Cardiogeriatrics (focus on
cardic diseases of elderly) and rehabilitation of elderly.
Rehabilitation may also take in intermediate care, where patients
are referred by a hospital or family doctor, when there is a
requirement to provide hospital based short term intensive physical therapy aimed at the recovery of musculoskeletal function, particularly recovery from joint, tendon, or ligament repair and, or, physical medicine and rehabilitation
care when elderly patients get out of synch with their medication
resulting in a deterioration of their personal health which reduces
their ability to live independently.
History
The Canon of Medicine,[2] written by Abu Ali Ibn Sina (Avicenna) in 1025, was the first book to offer instruction for the care of the aged, foreshadowing modern gerontology
and geriatrics. In a chapter entitled "Regimen of Old Age", Avicenna
was concerned with how "old folk need plenty of sleep", how their
bodies should be anointed with oil, and recommended exercises such as walking or horse-riding. Thesis III of the Canon discussed the diet suitable for old people, and dedicated several sections to elderly patients who become constipated.[3][4][5]
The famous Arabic physician, Ibn Al-Jazzar Al-Qayrawani (Algizar, circa 898-980), also wrote a special book on the medicine and health of the elderly, entitled Kitab Tibb al-Machayikh[6] or Teb al-Mashaikh wa hefz sehatahom.[7] He also wrote a book on sleep disorders and another one on forgetfulness and how to strengthen memory, entitled Kitab al-Nissian wa Toroq Taqwiati Adhakira,[8][9][10] and a treatise on causes of mortality entitled Rissala Fi Asbab al-Wafah.[11] Another Arabic physician in the 9th century, Ishaq ibn Hunayn (died 910), the son of Hunayn Ibn Ishaq, wrote a Treatise on Drugs for Forgetfulness (Risalah al-Shafiyah fi adwiyat al-nisyan).[12]
The term geriatrics was proposed in 1909 by Dr. Ignatz Leo Nascher, former Chief of Clinic in the Mount Sinai Hospital Outpatient Department (New York City) and a "Father" of geriatrics in the United States.
Modern geriatrics in the United Kingdom really began with the
"Mother" of Geriatrics, Dr. Marjorie Warren. Warren emphasised that
rehabilitation was essential to the care of older people. She took her
experiences as a physician in a London Workhouse infirmary and
developed the concept that merely keeping older people fed until they
died was not enough- they needed diagnosis, treatment, care and
support. She found that patients, some of whom had previously been
bedridden, were able to gain some degree of independence with the
correct assessment and treatment.
The practice of geriatrics in the UK is also one with a rich history
of multidisciplinary working, valuing all the professions, not just
medicine, for their contributions in optimising the well-being and
independence of older people.
Another "hero" of British Geriatrics is Bernard Isaacs, who described the "giants" of geriatrics: immobility and instability, incontinence and impaired intellect.[13] Isaacs asserted that if you look closely enough, all common problems with older people relate back to one of these giants.
The care of older people in the UK has been forwarded by the
implementation of the National Service Frameworks for Older People,
which outlines key areas for attention.[14]
Current trends
Perhaps the most pressing issue facing geriatrics is the treatment
and prevention of delirium. This is a condition in which hospitalized
elderly patients become confused and disoriented when confronted with
the uncertainty and confusion of a hospital stay. The health of the
patient will decline as a result of delirium and can increase the
length of hospitalization and lead to other health complications. The
treatment of delirium involves keeping the patient mentally stimulated
and oriented to reality, as well as providing specialized care in order
to ensure that their needs are being met.
The Hospital Elder Life Program, HELP, is a system that was created at Yale New Haven Hospital
and has been introduced to several hospitals. The goal of the program
is to prevent delirium and thus improve the quality of care provided to
the elderly. Yale New Haven Hospital has since developed HELP into the
more comprehensive Elder Horizons Program, whose goals in addition to preventing delirium include maintenance of mobility and of functional and cognitive states.
In July 2007 the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) and
the Hartford Foundation hosted a National Consensus Conference on
Competencies in Geriatric Education where a consensus was reached on
minimum competencies (learning outcomes) that graduating medical
student needed to assure competent care to older patients by new
interns. There are 26 competencies in eight content domains. The
domains are: cognitive and behavioral disorders; medication management;
self-care capacity; falls, balance, gait disorders; atypical
presentation of disease; palliative care; hospital care for elders, and
health care planning and promotion. Each content domain specifies three
or more observable, measurable competencies. The entire list is
available on the Portal of Geriatric Online Education (www.pogoe.org).
Pharmacology
Pharmacological constitution and regimen for older people is an
important topic, one which is related to changing and differing
physiology and psychology.
Changes in physiology with aging may alter the absorption, the
effectiveness and the side effect profile of many drugs. These changes
may occur in the gastrointestinal system, in the distribution of drugs
with changes in body fat and muscle and drug elimination.
Another area of importance is the potential for improper
administration and usage of potentially inappropriate medications, and
possibility of errors which result in dangerous drug interactions. One
other important consideration is that of elderly persons (particularly
those experiencing substantial problems of memory loss or other types
of cognitive impairment) being able to adequately monitor and adhere to
their own scheduled pharmacological administration. One study found
that 25% of participants studied admitted to skipping doses or cutting
them in half. Self-reported noncompliance with adherence to medication
schedule was reported by a one-third of the participants.
See also
Notes
References
- Barton A, Mulley G. History of the development of geriatric medicine in the UK. Postgrad Med J 2003;79:229-34. Fulltext. PMID 12743345.
- Cannon, K.T., Choi, M.M., Zuniga, M.M. (2006). Potentially inappropriate medication use in elderly patients receiving home health care: a retrospective data analysis. The American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy, 4, 134-143.
- Gidal, B.E. (2006). Drug Absorption in the Elderly:
Biopharmaceutical Considerations for the Antiepileptic Drugs. Epilepsy
Research, 68S, S65-S69.
- Hutchison, L.C., Jones, S.K., West, D.S., Wei, J.Y. (2006).
Assessment of Medication Management by Community-Living Elderly Persons
with Two Standardized Assessment Tools: A Cross-Sectional Study. The
American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy, 4, 144-153.
- Isaacs B. An introduction to geriatrics. London: Balliere, Tindall and Cassell, 1965.
External links
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