geriatrics
Overview of Evaluation of the Older Adult
Introduction
Evaluation of older adults usually differs from a standard medical evaluation. For older patients, especially those who are very old or frail, history-taking and physical examination may have to be done at different times, and physical examination may require 2 sessions because patients become fatigued. (For screening recommendations in older people, see Prevention of Disease in Older Adults .) Older adults also have different, often more complicated health care problems, such as multiple disorders, which may require use of many drugs (sometimes called polypharmacy) and thus greater likelihood of a high-risk drug being prescribed (see table). Early detection of problems can result in early intervention, which can prevent deterioration and improve Quality of Life in Older People , often through relatively minor, inexpensive interventions (eg, lifestyle changes). Thus, some older patients, particularly the frail or chronically ill, are best evaluated using a 