Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Basics About Ann Arbor Geriatrics

By Nancy Thomas


Another name for geriatrics is Geriatric Medicine. This field falls under the medicine specialty and is concerned with the promotion of health and prevention and treatment of medical disorder of the old age. Geriatricians and geriatric physicians are the medical professionals who specialize in this field. The Ann Arbor Geriatrics medicine is a fully and highly developed profession. As a branch of specialization in medicine, it has many practitioners who are highly qualified and specialized in it. One can expect to receive professional care at very low rates than in most other places in the country.

There is a difference between gerontology and geriatric medicine. Whereas geriatric medicine deals with the treatment of diseases in old people, gerontology is concerned with the study of the process of aging. There is no specific age at which one qualifies to receive geriatric care. People as young as 40 years can be under the care of geriatric physicians without any problem. The name geriatric comes from a Greek term which translates to old man in English.

It is very important to study geriatrics because the body of young people differ significantly from that of old people physiologically and in other respects. As one ages, the decline in various organs start to manifest. Different diseases and symptoms start to show depending on the kind of lifestyle one led while still young. The kind of diseases and symptoms that show differ from one individual to another and the depend on the remaining healthy reserves in organs.

The training geriatricians have enables them to distinguish between effects of aging considered normal and illness. For example, incontinence and renal failure are not normal while renal impairment is normal effect of aging. Thus, geriatricians promote health while aging.

Complications resulting from a decline in organ physiological reserve range from severe to mild, with other suffering from multiple medical disorders. This makes specific attention to medication necessary to elders. Some are often subjected to multiple medical prescriptions. Combining of herbal and over-the-counter medications is very common too. However, this presents the danger of drug-drug interaction or severe drug reaction.

Most diseases in the elderly people present themselves in a non-specific and vague manner. Sometimes they include falls of delirium. For instance, pneumonia may cause low-grade fever and confusion as opposed to cough and high fever observed in younger people. If the disease is causing confusion or cognitive impairment, the old person may have a problem describing what symptoms they are experiencing.

Some major impairments suffered by old people are placed into four groups and named geriatric giants. The four impairments include instability, immobility, incontinence, and impaired intellect/memory. Most people suffer from loss of hearing and vision. Loss of hearing results in social isolation, dependence, and depression. On the other hand, impairment of vision causes incorrect taking of medication, mismanagement of finances, and frequent falls.

Issues related to quality of life, independence, and functional abilities usually cause major concern. Elderly people usually generally want to be able to live independently for the longest time possible. This requires them to be able to handle activities of daily living. Geriatricians may have to provide information about elder care options and make referrals to assisted living facilities, hospice, home care, and skilled nursing facilities as appropriate.




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