Geriatric Medicine

Geriatric Medicine - General Practice: The Integrative Approach Series details the medical and consulting knowledge required of a General Practitioner when managing older patients. The world’s population is ageing rapidly, particularly in developed countries, where life expectancy is over 80 years for women and just under 80 years for men in many countries. Rapid ageing is occurring in less developed countries too, with the number of people aged over 65 years increasing dramatically in many countries. Consequently, much of general practice now involves care of older people in a range of settings—community, residential and acute-care facilities. It is easy to form the impression that ageing normally involves disease, disability and dependency, but while these are more common with increasing age, they are far from inevitable. Most 90-year-olds are not demented, maintain excellent mobility, are independent in personal, domestic and most community activities of daily living and live in their own home.