Geriatric Doctors Care For Older Adults

Can you tell me the different types of health problems a geriatrician treats and how I can find one? Every time I see my current doctor he reminds me how old I am (I’m 76) and writes me another prescription to take. I would like to make a change, but I want someone who will help me, not patronize me.
Not Too Old

Dear Not,
If you think your doctor is paying more attention to your age than your health, a geriatrician may be just the antidote. Here’s what you should know.

Geriatricians
A geriatrician is a medical doctor who specializes in caring for older adults - usually over age 65. Geriatricians are typically board certified in family practice or internal medicine and have additional training and certification in caring for the elderly. Just as a pediatrician specializes in caring for children, a geriatrician is trained to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness in seniors. Some of the advantages of seeing a geriatrician over a regular family doctor can include:

Better diagnosis: Geriatricians look at symptoms differently and understand that a disease in a 70-year-old is not the same as in a 40-year-old. In other words, they won’t write off your health problems as just a result of aging.

Extra time: In general, geriatric doctors spend twice as much time with their patients as a regular doctor does.

Specialized care: Geriatricians are specially trained to manage and treat complex and oftentimes multiple health problems that affect older adults such as: confusion and memory loss, sleep problems, trouble with balance and falls, arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, incontinence, depression, heart disease, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, prostate enlargement, respiratory problems and more.

Medication management: Drug misuse is another common problem - due to the biological changes that occur with aging, and because many seniors tend to take multiple medications at the same time for various health problems. A geriatrician will help you manage your meds and make sure they don’t interact with each other in a harmful way.

Full-service care: Many seniors use a geriatrician as their primary care physician to oversee and coordinate all aspects of their care.

Long-term needs: Geriatricians can also help their patients and families determine their long-term care needs, like how long they can remain in their own homes safely without assistance, and what type of services may be necessary when they do need some extra help.

Savvy Facts: There’s a short supply of geriatricians in the United States that’s expected to get worse in the coming years as 77 million baby boomers grow older. Currently, barely 1 percent of the nation’s 700,000 doctors are certified in geriatrics, yet older Americans, by far require the most medical care. Making matters worse is that only 10 of the nation’s 125 medical schools require courses in geriatrics, and only three have established geriatrics departments. The main reason behind this shortage is poor Medicare reimbursements.

Finding Help
To locate a geriatrician or other health care professional with geriatric training, try these resources:

American Geriatrics Society: To find a geriatrician in your area, call 800-563-4916 or visit www.americangeriatrics.org.

American Society of Consultant Pharmacists: This organization provides a nationwide list of senior care pharmacists that help older patients identify and prevent medication problems by managing their medications. Visit www.seniorcarepharmacist.com or call 800-355-2727.

Area Agency on Aging: To find other health professionals (nutritionist, physical therapist, psychiatrist, nurses) with geriatric training, contact your local aging office. To get your local number, call the eldercare locator at 800-677-1116 or visit www.eldercare.gov.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.