What They Do
A geriatrician is a physician who specializes in the health care of older adults, focusing on the specific medical, functional, and social factors that become more prominent with aging. Geriatric medicine takes a broad, whole-person approach rather than focusing on a single organ system.
What They Treat
Geriatricians manage the combined effect of multiple ongoing health conditions that often occur together in older age, along with age-related concerns such as memory changes, mobility issues, and increased risk of falls. They also pay close attention to how multiple medications interact when taken together, a particular concern in older adults who are often managing several conditions at once.
Training Path
Becoming a geriatrician requires completing a medical degree, followed by residency training in internal medicine or family medicine, and then additional specialized fellowship training specifically in geriatric medicine, covering the particular health considerations that become more significant with aging.
When to See One
People, or their family members, commonly seek out a geriatrician when managing several health conditions becomes increasingly complex, when there are concerns about memory or cognitive changes, or when a more coordinated, whole-person approach to care would be beneficial for an older adult. Geriatricians often work closely with other specialists to help coordinate an older patient's overall care.
Background
Geriatric medicine developed as a distinct medical specialty over the course of the 20th century, as growing life expectancy and a deeper understanding of aging-related health changes highlighted a need for physicians specifically trained to address the combined medical and functional needs of older adults, rather than treating aging-related conditions in isolation from one another.
