Geriatrics / Gériatrie Why Geriatrics ?

Why geriatric medicine ? Many have asked this question... residents considering specialization; specialists reluctant to acknowledge change in their aging patients; and anxious patients narrowly defining geriatric medicine as end-of-life care. All have wondered how caring for older patients differs from that of younger adults. The difference, in fact, is immense. The transition from a disease-focused model of care to a comprehensive approach aimed at preserving functional independence means that new skills must be employed and new doctrines adopted. As new treatment methods were investigated and applied to the previously neglected elderly, clear evidence of their effectiveness emerged over the past decades. Yet, for many reasons, the integration of well-established standards of geriatric care into the culture of modern medicine has been incomplete and contentious. The growth of geriatric medicine, particularly in developing countries, is further hampered by indifference of the medical community towards elderly patients. Consequently, many healthcare providers continue to have a poor grasp of the fundamental principles of geriatric medicine despite an increasing load of older patients in their practice. A failure to disseminate awareness of ageappropriate care is a failure to preserve the independence and quality-of-life of older adults. So... why geriatrics? This introductory article, and the ones that follow, will start to answer this question, and hopefully showcase the art and science of geriatric medicine in new light. Read on!