We need to rethink care for the elderly. Image of hands via Lighthunter/Shutterstock
“By 2030, the last of the Baby Boomer generation will have turned 65 years old, putting the population of “senior boomers” in the United States at approximately 71 million. Currently, only about 7,000 certified geriatricians – physicians specializing in the care of older adults – are practicing in the US. That’s about one geriatrician for every 10,000 of these expected seniors, assuming that the number of geriatricians remains stable. However, the number of new trainees in the field of geriatrics is going down.
In 2010 there were 1,000 fewer geriatricians in practice than a decade earlier. To compound this problem, only about 220 physicians complete geriatrics fellowship training programs.
Geriatricians often act as primary care doctors, and at times as specialist consultants, for patients who are advancing in age and may require targeted, specialized care to maintain function and quality of life. Geriatricians are attuned to the specific needs of the patient at … click here to continue reading this article at The Conversation.
