The improvement and expansion of health care for our older population, that is, those over the age of 65, must now be a major priority of all health care providers. It is expected that the number of older Americans will grow from approximately 23 million today to approximately 55 million by the year 2030. This increase will place unprecedented demands on all segments of the health-care community, including nurses, psychotherapists, administrators, technicians, physicians, teachers, and allied health professionals, among many others. Gerontology is a relatively new and broad field of study, encompassing the clinical, biological, and social aspects of aging. Thus, we are faced with tremendous challenges in trying to create a medical and social system which responds to the varied and growing demands of caring for the elderly. It is the goal of the National Institute on Aging, and we hope the goal of all allied health professionals, to use all resources available to us to learn more about the processes of aging and to translate this knowledge into specialized services and medical care for older people.

Aged↗

PubMed1979

The need for quality hospice care.

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Hospices↗

PubMed1979

Geriatrics and internal medicine.

If medical education is to respond adequately to the growing number of citizens encompassed by the field of geriatric medicine, it must intensify its commitment to the special health and health-related problems of the elderly at every level, from student to certified specialist. This paper discusses the various intellectual, epidemiologic, economic, and attitudinal factors related to the teaching and practice of geriatric medicine. The emergence of a positive philosophy emphasizing coping and possible reversibility of disease is vital. The recent report of the Institute of Medicine on Aging and Medical Education is also reviewed, as well as graduate training opportunities and ways in which the American Board of Internal Medicine could play a leading role in this process by providing increased emphasis on geriatrics in its training programs and certifying examinations. The medical profession must continue its self-evaluation to ascertain how it can most effectively contribute to improving the lives of the elderly, perhaps our greatest national resource.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1979