Editing Geriatrics (section)

{{short description|Specialty that focuses on health care of elderly people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox medical specialty
| title        = Geriatrics
| subdivisions = 
| image        = [[File:Nurse in geriatry.jpg|300px]]
| caption      = An elderly woman in a residential care home receiving a birthday cake
| diseases     = [[Dementia]], [[arthritis]], [[osteoporosis]], [[osteoarthritis]], [[rheumatoid arthritis]], [[Parkinson's disease]], [[atherosclerosis]], [[heart disease]], [[high blood pressure]]
| tests        
 
| specialist   = Geriatrician
}}
{{Infobox occupation
| name= Geriatrician
| image= 
| caption= 
| official_names=
* Physician
| type= [[Specialty (medicine)|Specialty]]
| activity_sector= [[Medicine]]
| competencies= 
| formation=
* [[Doctor of Medicine]] (M.D.)
* [[Doctor of Osteopathic medicine]] (D.O.)
* [[Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery]] (M.B.B.S.)
* [[Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery]] (MBChB)
| employment_field= [[Hospital]]s, [[Clinic]]s
| related_occupation= 
}}
'''Geriatrics''', or '''geriatric medicine''',<ref>{{cite web | vauthors = Marks JW | date = 3 June 2021 |url=https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=18390|title=Medical Definition of Geriatric medicine|website=MedicineNet}}</ref> is a medical specialty focused on addressing the unique health needs of older adults.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.med.umn.edu/agingcf/continuity.html | title = Geriatrics separation from internal medicine|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090114131504/http://www.med.umn.edu/agingcf/continuity.html|archive-date=14 January 2009 | work = University of Minnesota }}</ref> The term ''geriatrics'' originates from the [[Greek language|Greek]] γέρων ''geron'' meaning "old man", and ιατρός ''iatros'' meaning "healer". It aims to promote [[health]] by [[prevention (medical)|preventing]], diagnosing and treating [[disease]] in [[older adults]].<ref>{{cite web|title = Geriatric Medicine Specialty Description | publisher = American Medical Association | url = https://www.ama-assn.org/specialty/geriatric-medicine-specialty-description | access-date = 5 September 2020}}</ref> Older adults may be healthy, but they're more likely to have chronic health concerns and require more medical care.<ref>DupréAthena. Communicating about Health : Current Issues and Perspectives. Seventh Edition ed., New York, Oxford University Press, 2014.</ref> There is not a defined [[Ageing|age]] at which [[patient]]s may be under the care of a '''geriatrician''', or '''geriatric physician''', a physician who specializes in the care of older people. Rather, this decision is guided by individual patient needs and the caregiving structures available to them. This care may benefit those who are managing [[Multimorbidity|multiple chronic conditions]] or experiencing significant age-related complications that threaten quality of daily life. Geriatric care may be indicated if caregiving responsibilities become increasingly stressful or medically complex for family and caregivers to manage independently.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Geriatrics {{!}} American Geriatrics Society |url=https://www.americangeriatrics.org/geriatrics-profession/about-geriatrics |access-date=2022-08-29 |website=www.americangeriatrics.org}}</ref>

There is a distinction between geriatrics and [[gerontology]]. Gerontology is the multidisciplinary study of the [[aging]] process, defined as the decline in organ function over time in the absence of injury, illness, environmental risks or behavioral risk factors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is Gerontology? |url=https://www.geron.org/about-us/our-vision-mission-and-values/what-is-gerontology |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=www.geron.org}}</ref> However, geriatrics is sometimes called '''medical gerontology'''.