Rays Integrated Academy (RIA)

GERIATRICS
INTRODUCTION
 Geriatrics (History)
• The term geriatrics was proposed in 1909 by
Dr. Ignatz Leo Nascher, former Chief of Clinic
in the Mount Sinai Hospital Outpatient
Department (New York City) and a "Father" of
geriatrics in the United States.
 Geriatrics (History)
• The famous Arabic physician, Ibn Al-Jazzar Al-
Qayrawani (Algizar, circa 898-980), also wrote a
special book on the medicine and health of the
elderly, entitled Kitab Tibb al-Machayikh[6] or
Teb al-Mashaikh wa hefz sehatahom.[7] He also
wrote a book on sleep disorders and another one
on forgetfulness and how to strengthen memory,
entitled Kitab al-Nissian wa Toroq Taqwiati
Adhakira,[8][9][10] and a treatise on causes of
mortality entitled Rissala Fi Asbab al- Wafah
 Geriatrics (History)•
Modern geriatrics in the United Kingdom really began
with the "Mother" of Geriatrics, Dr. Marjorie Warren.
Warren emphasized that rehabilitation was essential
to the care of older people. She took her experiences
as a physician in a London Workhouse infirmary and
developed the concept that merely keeping older
people fed until they died was not enough- they
needed diagnosis, treatment, care and support. She
found that patients, some of whom had previously
been bedridden, were able to gain some degree of
independence with the correct assessment and
treatment.
 GERIATRIC MEDICINE:MAIN ISSUES
• The world is moving towards transition of population
pyramid and number of elderly people are increasing. So,
people are now living longer and enjoying longer active life.
The incidence of chronic disease is high among the elderly
people. Therefore proper attention should be given to the
well-being of the elderly population particularly for long-
term care, physical functioning, housing and social
network. Ageing is an integral part of life. Healthcare and
social work has the most obvious link to working with older
people. Geriatric care and the care of older adults hasn't
been seen as exciting for higher studies. As our population
ages, there's an increase in demand for the skills to deal
with illnesses that affect older adults, such as dementia.
This subject is designed to aware the students on social
care and the social care system of elderly people.
Objectives:
• The main objective of this course is to develop
professionals capable of understanding and
responding to the current social priorities of
the complex needs of an increasingly elderly
population
 Key Terms
• age stratification theory  which states that members of society
are stratified by age, just as they are stratified by race, class, and
gender
• ageism discrimination based on age
• centenarians people 100 years old or older
• cohort a group of people who share a statistical or demographic
trait remaining active and involved throughout their elder years
• disengagement theory which suggests that withdrawing from
society and social relationships is a natural part of growing old
• elder abuse when a caretaker intentionally deprives an older
person of care or harms the person in their charge
 CONT….
• filial piety deference and respect to one’s parents and
ancestors in all things
• geriatrics a medical specialty focusing on the elderly
• gerontocracy a type of social structure wherein the power is
held by a society’s oldest members
• gerontology a field of science that seeks to understand the
process of aging and the challenges encountered as seniors
grow older
• gerotranscendence the idea that as people age, they
transcend limited views of life they held in earlier times
• grief a psychological, emotional, and social response to the
feelings of loss that accompanies death or a similar event
• hospice health care that treats terminally ill people by
providing comfort during the dying process
• life course the period from birth to death, including a
sequence of predictable life events
• life expectancy the number of years a person is expected to
live
• modernization theory theory which suggests that the primary
cause of the elderly losing power and influence in society are
the parallel forces of industrialization and modernization
• physician-assisted suicide the voluntary use of lethal
medication provided by a medical doctor to end one’s life
• primary aging biological factors such as molecular and
cellular changes
• secondary aging aging that occurs due to controllable
factors like exercise and diet
• selective optimization with compensation theory the idea
that successful personal development throughout the life
course and subsequent mastery of the challenges
associated with everyday life are based on the components
of selection, optimization, and compensation
• senescence the aging process, including biological,
intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual changes
• social gerontology a specialized field of gerontology
that examines the social (and sociological) aspects of
aging
• subculture of aging theory theory that focuses on the
shared community created by the elderly when they
are excluded (due to age), voluntarily or involuntarily,
from participating in other groups
• thanatology the systematic study of death and dying
 Introduction
Geriatrics
is the branch of healthcare that focuses on our
unique needs as we age. Just as pediatricians
specialize in the health needs of children,
geriatricians specialize in the health needs of
older people. Geriatricians also often work with a
whole team of fellow geriatrics health
professionals, including nurses, physician
assistants, pharmacists, social workers, and many
others
 INTRODUCTION

Geriatrics
is the branch of internal medicine that focuses on health care
of the elderly. It aims to promote health and to prevent and
treat diseases and disabilities in older adults.
 ABOUT GERIATRICS
• Our bodies change over time, and our health
care needs to adapt with us. Geriatrics is the
specialty focused on the high-quality, person-
centered care we all need as we age. “High-
quality care” aims to improve health,
independence, and quality of life for older
people. “Person-centered care” puts our
personal values and preferences at the heart
of our care decisions.
 AGING

Aging can be defined as a progressive and generalized

impairment of function resulting in the loss of adaptive
response to stress and increased risk of age related diseases. •
The overall effect of these alterations is an increase in the
probability of declining health and dying and which is also often
associated with social, emotional and financial marginalisation
in old age