Geriatric Medicine
Geriatric medicine is a field of healthcare that Paper Masters' writers specialize in for research papers written for nursing students or healthcare administrators.
Geriatric medicine is the branch of health care focusing on the needs of elderly people. The overall aim of geriatric medicine is to promote health through the prevention and treatment of disease and disability. The elderly have specific and unique medical needs when compared to standard adult medicine, as the aged body is physiologically different, especially as the various organs begin to decline.
Physical decline as a natural part of aging means that the elderly will develop certain diseases and have greater complication from milder problems. However, geriatric medicine distinguishes between the normal process of aging and disease. Renal impairment, a decline in kidney function, is a normal part of aging, by renal failure and urinary incontinence are not normal, and require additional treatment.
Geriatric medicine Treats Geriatric Giants
An additional concern of geriatric medicine is in the area of medication. Many elderly adults take multiple medications. Geriatric doctors need to be aware of the specifics of drug interactions, as well as the ways that the medications work in the aging body.
Geriatric medicine frequently addresses what are known as the "geriatric giants":
- Immobility
- Instability
- Incontinence
- Impaired intellect
- Impaired vision and hearing are also quite common in the elderly
Primary care physicians must complete additional training in order to be certified in geriatric medicine.