A Modest Proposition to align Geriatrics and Long Term Care Medicine
2008
Aligning Geriatrics and Long Term Care Medicine
Commentary
Author Information
Author(s): Mor Vincent, Katz Paul R
Hypothesis
The discipline of geriatric medicine must assume a leadership role in long term care to improve quality of care.
Conclusion
Geriatricians need to focus on individual patient care while also understanding population-based medicine to effectively serve long term care patients.
Supporting Evidence
- Approximately 10 million Americans have long-term care needs.
- The number of certified geriatricians is declining each year.
- Most healthcare professionals caring for older adults have suboptimal training in geriatrics.
Takeaway
There aren't enough geriatricians to care for all older patients, so they need to work better with long term care facilities to help more people.
Limitations
The declining number of geriatricians and inadequate training of healthcare professionals in geriatrics are significant challenges.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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