Eldercare in danger.

摘要

It is paradoxical that at a time of increasing numbers of elderly with complex health care needs, the field of geriatric medicine appears to be disappearing.Geriatricians have advanced training preparing them to care for the most complex older patients. Geriatrics providers typically work within interdisciplinary teams resulting in comprehensive, coordinated care for the elderly. Research suggests this approach can improve outcomes, maintain functional integrity, and at the same time be more cost effective.Some unique features of geriatricians include their ability, based on an understanding of the normal physiology of aging, to recognize atypical presentation of common diseases and to integrate this within the context of multiple simultaneous illnesses. Geriatricians have the required training to set practi-cal goals and effectively manage elderly patients with multiple complex medical conditions, low organ reserve, limited social support, and functional impairment.