Care for the elderly, or simply care for the elderly (also known in some parts of the English-speaking world as care for the elderly), meets the needs of older adults. It includes assisted living, adult day care, long-term care, nursing homes (often referred to as residential care), palliative care, and home care. Geriatrics is the area of medicine that supports people who could be considered older people, while “older people” is a description of an age group, 2) it is more widely used as an adjective, while geriatric tends to refer to more specific areas of medicine and research. Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty that focuses on addressing the unique health needs of older adults.
The term geriatrics comes from the Greek word geron, meaning old man, and α iatros, meaning healer. Its objective is to promote health through the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases in older adults. Older adults may be healthy, but they are more likely to have chronic health problems and to need more medical care. There is no definite age after which patients can be under the care of a geriatrician or a geriatric doctor, a doctor who specializes in the care of elderly people.
Rather, this decision is guided by the individual needs of patients and the care structures available to them. This care can benefit those who are managing multiple chronic conditions or who suffer from significant age-related complications that endanger the quality of daily life. Geriatric care may be appropriate if care responsibilities become increasingly stressful or medically complex for family members and caregivers to manage independently. Welcome to the Eldercare Locator, a public service from the Administration for Community Living that connects you to services for older adults and their families.
Geriatrics is the area of medicine that supports those who could be considered the elderly, while “elderly” is a description of an age group. For loved ones who are at the end of their lives, palliative care will help them to comfortably minimize symptoms, while the hospice caregiver affirms their lives. If you or your loved one are struggling with activities of daily living or even if you just need a little bit of company, a caregiver is the right option for you. These caregivers can also help to move people who have less mobility, such as helping someone move from a wheelchair to the bathroom. Adequate training, services, and support can reduce the likelihood of elder abuse, and appropriate care can often identify it.
Despite being descriptive, “older people can generalize excessively and lack the details that are often needed for both medical treatment and research.” In addition, a new elderly resident caregiver relieves the current caregiver every few days, meaning that there is no uniformity as to who is providing care. Through consultation, evaluation, care coordination and promotion, a professional who specializes in elderly care works with clients and families to address these challenges. While caregivers aren't doctors, some have additional licenses and are known as home health aides. Adult day care can remedy loneliness through social interactions and provide psychological and behavioral benefits, especially for people with dementia.
One of the main differences between home care and 24-hour care is that caregivers who work 24 hours a day don't sleep while they work. Understanding the needs of older adults and geriatric medicine could be very important as the world's population changes and the problem affects to more people. Home caregivers offer personalized support, such as comprehensive care, Alzheimer's disease care, and post-surgical care. While internal caregivers live in your loved one's place of residence, they only provide care for 16 hours a day.
