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Chapter One
Introducing Geriatric Medicine
Nicola Cooper & Graham Mulley
OVERVIEW
Developed countries have an ageing population
Sick old people often present differently to younger people and
can be clinically complex
Atypical presentations such as reduced mobility are not 'social'
problems - they are medical problems in disguise
Comprehensive geriatric assessment and rehabilitation are of
central importance to geriatric medicine and have a strong
evidence base
Simple interventions can often make a big difference to the
quality of life of an older person
Geriatric medicine is important because most doctors deal with
older patients. In the UK, people over the age of 65 make up around
16% of the population, but this group accounts for 43% of the
entire National Health Service (NHS) budget and 71% of social
care packages. Two-thirds of general hospital beds are used by older
people and they present to most medical specialties (Figure 1.1).
The proportion of older people is growing steadily (Figure 1.2),
with even greater increases in the over 85 ... read full excerpt from ABC of Geriatric Medicine (ABC Series #90) ebook
