| Geriatrics is the branch of medicine
concerned with the diagnoses and treatment - or sometimes just management
- of the conditions and disorders that occur in old age.
The term geriatrics also refers to the medical
care of the elderly generally.
Compare geriatrics with the related area of gerontology (which
involves study of the changes that occur in the mind and body during the ageing
process - and the challenges and opportunities for psychological and
spiritual growth
associated
with them). Geriatrics is important because older adults may react to illness
and diseases differently from younger adults. There are also some conditions
that are specifically associated with the later stages of ageing - which
will now apply to an increasing proportion of modern Western populations
in which life-expectancy is longer than for previous generations, and
continues to increase.
For example, health concerns commonly found in found in the frail elderly
may include incontinence, frequent falls, memory problems, and
the side effects caused by multiple medications.
There are some respects in which geriatric medicine
overlaps with, and is supported by, non-medical personal care and social
services - some of which are also government funded in some countries. Associated Terms:
* _ A medical specialist
in the field of geriatrics is called a geriatrician.
* _ Technically, the
adjective used to refer to geriatrics would be "geriatrical".
However this term is very rarely used. The words used in its place
are a variety of terms and expressions used in
standard
(rather than 'medical') English.
Links to other relevant areas on this website include:
* _ Glossary Section for
General
Medical Terms.
This part of the IvyRose Holistic Resources Glossary
is included as a study-aid for students following first-level courses
in human biology,
medicine, nursing, natural or holistic therapies, and associated theoretical
courses - who are required recognise and understand medical terms such
as those of the disciplines within medicine. |
