Geriatric medicine

Geriatric Medicine

Geriatric medicine (pronunciation: /dʒɛrɪˈætrɪk mɛdɪsɪn/), also known as geriatrics, is a specialty that focuses on health care of elderly people. It aims to promote health by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities in older adults. The term 'geriatric' comes from the Greek words 'geron' meaning 'old man', and 'iatros' meaning 'healer'.

History

The discipline of geriatric medicine was first formalized by the British physician Ignatz Leo Nascher in the early 20th century. Nascher saw the need for a medical discipline that would address the specific needs of the elderly, who often have multiple health problems and are more susceptible to certain diseases than younger people.

Scope

Geriatric medicine encompasses comprehensive health care of the elderly, including preventive medicine, management of chronic disease, palliative care, and rehabilitation. It also includes the management of geriatric syndromes, which are conditions that do not fit into discrete disease categories, such as frailty, delirium, and falls.

Related Terms

Gerontology: The study of the social, cultural, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects of ageing.
Geriatric syndromes: Multifactorial health conditions that occur when the accumulated effects of impairments in multiple systems render a person vulnerable to situational challenges.
Geriatric assessment: A multidimensional, multidisciplinary diagnostic instrument designed to collect data on the medical, psychosocial and functional capabilities and limitations of elderly patients.
Geriatric psychiatry: A subspecialty of psychiatry dealing with the study, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders in humans with old age.

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Geriatric medicine