Editing Geriatrics (section)

=== Differences between adult and geriatric medicine ===
Geriatric providers receive specialized training in caring for elderly patients and promoting healthy aging. The care provided is largely based on shared-decision making and is driven by patient goals and preferences, which can vary from preserving function, improving quality of life, or prolonging years of life. A guiding [[mnemonic]] commonly used by geriatricians in the United States and Canada is the 5 M's of Geriatrics which describes mind, mobility, multicomplexity, [[medication]]s and matters most to elicit patient values.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Molnar |first1=Frank |last2=Frank |first2=Christopher C. |date=January 2019 |title=Optimizing geriatric care with the GERIATRIC 5Ms |journal=Canadian Family Physician |volume=65 |issue=1 |pages=39 |pmc=6347324 |pmid=30674512 }}</ref>

It is common for [[Old age|elderly]] adults to be managing multiple long-term conditions (multimorbidity). Age-associated changes in physiology drive a compounded increase in susceptibility to illness, disease-associated morbidity, and death. Moreover, common diseases may present atypically in elderly patients, adding further [[Diagnosis|diagnostic]] and therapeutic complexity to patient care.

Geriatrics is highly interdisciplinary consisting of specialty providers from the fields of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work, and physical and occupational therapy. Elderly patients can receive care related to medication management, pain management, psychiatric and memory care, rehabilitation, long-term nursing care, nutrition, and different forms of therapy including physical, occupational, and speech. Non-medical considerations include social services, transitional care, advanced directives, power of attorney, and other legal considerations.