Thousands of people turn 65 each day, and they all need specialized care. While your primary care physician can address some of your needs once you become a senior, most of your medical conditions become more specialized. Therefore, you need the input of an expert in eldercare. That is where senior care comes in. If you are older than 65 years, you may need to see a medical professional specializing in geriatric care in Gaithersburg. They can help you prevent some conditions associated with old age so you can keep living an active and fulfilling life.
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What is Geriatric?
Geriatric medicine or geriatrics is a specialty in medicine that focuses on enhancing health care for the elderly. It offers support by treating and preventing illnesses and disabilities that often come about due to aging. Geriatric care involves providing help to adults in the comfort of their homes, hospitals, or special institutions such as psychiatric establishments or nursing homes.
Geriatric care involves two different levels: a medical professional specializing in care for the elderly population and services offered by care managers. Both professionals work hand in hand to ensure that you and your family have consistent information regarding your medications, exercise regimen, daily schedules, dietary needs, and other requirements.
Why is Geriatric Care Important?
As you grow older, you start experiencing different challenges with your health that you may not have experienced in your youth. Your perceptual systems start declining, causing poor coordination, hearing, and eyesight. Neurological problems also become more severe. You start struggling with normal daily activities and experience more sick days. Maintaining good health during your old age requires a lot of effort from medical experts.
As a geriatric patient, you will experience many different diseases and medical conditions. They may be acute (those that occur suddenly like urinary tract infections) or chronic conditions like COPD or arthritis. You can also experience emerging conditions that come naturally as you age, such as dementia. Geriatric care can help identify some of these conditions and prevent them from becoming more severe or avoid them entirely.
Geriatric care can also help increase your lifespan. This is evident in the increasing life expectancy. Even if you have had a healthy life and stayed in shape and increased lifespan, the need for more specialized care grows, your body adjusts to the effects of aging. You will experience more frequent acute episodes, while chronic conditions need more advanced medical attention to manage. You will also notice the early symptoms of emerging conditions.
Common Conditions Affecting Geriatric Patients
As you grow older, the risk of developing some medical conditions also increases. Common health issues affecting geriatric patients include:
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Dementia
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
The risk of sustaining severe injuries through a fall also increases with age. You also become more susceptible to conditions such as pneumonia, flu, shingles, and other related ailments.
In summary, geriatric care refers to the field of medicine that focuses on enhancing health care for the elderly. It is vital since you start experiencing different medical conditions as you age, all of which need specialized medical care. The increasing lifespan also emphasizes the need for geriatric care. Common conditions affecting geriatric patients include arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression.