Basics About Ann Arbor Geriatrics

By Nancy Thomas


The Geriatric Medicine is also used to refer to Geriatrics. This is a medical specialty that specializes in providing health care and promoting the health of old people. It deals with the prevention and treatment of disability and illnesses that affect the elderly. Medical practitioners with specialty in this field are referred to as geriatric physicians or geriatricians. The Ann Arbor Geriatrics profession is highly advanced with some of the most experienced and qualified professionals. One can receive quality care in Ann Arbor at affordable rates.

Gerontology and geriatrics are two different fields in medicine. Gerontology is the medical study of the process of aging in human beings while geriatric medicine concerns itself with the treatment and prevention of medical conditions that result because of old age. No specifications exist on who qualifies to receive geriatric care. Even individuals at the age of forty can receive the care just fine. The Greek terms from which the term Geriatric medicine was derived means old man when translated into English.

It is very important to study geriatrics because the body of young people differ significantly from that of old people physiologically and in other respects. As one ages, the decline in various organs start to manifest. Different diseases and symptoms start to show depending on the kind of lifestyle one led while still young. The kind of diseases and symptoms that show differ from one individual to another and the depend on the remaining healthy reserves in organs.

The training geriatricians have enables them to distinguish between effects of aging considered normal and illness. For example, incontinence and renal failure are not normal while renal impairment is normal effect of aging. Thus, geriatricians promote health while aging.

Complications caused by decline in organ physiological reserve vary from mild to severe. Suffering from multiple medical conditions is common too. Because of these, elderly people need specific attention to medications, often being subjected to multiple medications. Over-the counter and herbal medications are often mixed by some people. This exposes them to the risk of drug-drug interaction or adverse drug reaction.

Elderly people suffer from diseases that mostly present themselves in a vague and non-specific way. They may include delirium and falls sometimes. For example, pneumonia may result in confusion and low-level fever. This is not happens in younger people where pneumonia causes high-level fever and cough. Description of symptoms is often a problem to the old individuals, if cognitive impairment and confusion is being caused.

Old people suffer certain major impairments which are described using the term geriatric giants. The four impairments are impaired intellect/memory, instability, immobility, and incontinence. Common problems include hearing loss and impaired vision. When these people lose hearing, they suffer from depression, social isolation, and dependence. In case they suffer vision impairment, they often take medications incorrectly, mismanage finances, and experience falls.

Issues related with quality of life, functional abilities, and independence continue to be of great concern in this profession. Maintaining independence is generally what most old individuals want. This calls for ability to handle daily activities. It is upon geriatricians to offer information and referrals about elder care options to patients as appropriate. Some of the options are assisted living facilities, home care, skilled nursing facilities, and hospice.




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