older people’s health issues
Care Providers: Practitioners
Doctors
Older people may see many different kinds of doctors: family practice doctors, general internists, specialists in such areas as heart disorders (cardiologists) or cancer (oncologists), and surgeons. Sometimes general internists and different specialists work together in a group practice. A group practice makes referrals and communication among doctors easier, and people do not need to travel to many different locations. Geriatriciansare doctors, usually internists or family practice doctors, who are trained specifically to care for older people. A geriatrician may be the person’s primary care doctor or may be called in for a short time for consultation. Geriatricians are trained to manage many disorders and problems at once. They focus on maximizing function and quality of life, as well as managing chronic conditions, rather than trying to cure them. They have studied how the body changes as it ages, so that they can better distinguish when a symptom is due to a disorder rather than to aging itself. They evaluate older people in terms of social and emotional as well as physical needs. Then they can help older people live as independently as possible. The people most likely to benefit from seeing a geriatrician include those who Are very frail Have many disorders Need to see several different types of health care practitioners Take many medications and are thus likely to have drug side effects 