Geriatric
Geriatric refers to the branch of medicine that focuses on health promotion, prevention, and treatment of disease and disability in later life. The term comes from the Greek geron meaning "old man", and iatros meaning "healer".
Definition[edit | edit source]
Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, 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. There is no set age at which patients may be under the care of a geriatrician, or geriatric physician, a physician who specializes in the care of elderly people. Rather, this decision is determined by the individual patient's needs, and the availability of a specialist.
History[edit | edit source]
The term "geriatrics" was proposed in 1909 by Dr. Ignatz Leo Nascher, a New York physician. He combined the Greek geron (old man) and iatros (healer) to create the term "geriatrics", meaning "the healing of the elderly".
Importance[edit | edit source]
As the population ages, the demand for geriatric care continues to grow. Geriatricians are trained to recognize and manage multiple and chronic illnesses, to understand the importance of functional ability in older people, and to appreciate the social and psychological issues that influence health in the elderly.
Geriatric Syndromes[edit | edit source]
Geriatric syndromes are conditions that are common in older adults and have significant implications for function and life expectancy. These include falls, incontinence, delirium, dementia, and frailty.
Geriatric Assessment[edit | edit source]
Geriatric assessment is a multidimensional, multidisciplinary diagnostic process used to determine an older person's medical, psychological, and functional capabilities in order to develop a coordinated and integrated plan for treatment and follow-up.
See Also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
| Geriatric Resources | |
|---|---|
|
 |
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
