Four Reasons to See a Geriatrician

About Kim Elliott

Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer

Kim Elliott joined Brookdale in July 2014 and has served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer since August 2021. She previously served as our Senior Vice President of Clinical Services from July 2014 until August 2021. Elliott has more than 27 years of experience in senior living and has developed a care philosophy based on the importance of individualized care, personal choice and resident independence. Before joining Brookdale, Ms. Elliott served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Quality and Compliance for Centerre Healthcare Corporation and Director of Compliance and Risk Management for Kindred Healthcare. Ms. Elliott received a BSN in nursing from the University of Kentucky and a Master's degree in nursing with a nursing executive specialty from Chamberlain University. She serves on the Argentum Clinical Quality Executive Roundtable, on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Central Florida University School of Nursing, as a member of the Nightingale Society, and as a member of the 2022 Nashville Healthcare Council Fellows cohort.

If you want to ensure the senior in your life is getting the best care, consider booking an appointment with a geriatrician, an expert in issues associated with aging. Having worked with seniors my entire career, I’ve come to truly appreciate how geriatricians can provide a more holistic approach than most primary care practitioners. It’s because they have specific training in the medical, social and psychological concerns of the aging, and with more information about senior health becoming available all the time, they stay on top of the newest knowledge.

Here is a quick look at four of the key services that geriatricians provide.

1. Prescribing and reviewing medications

Geriatricians will review all of their patients’ medications, making changes if they believe they are taking too many or the wrong kind. These doctors understand that older patients react differently to prescription and over-the counter medication than younger people, as their body metabolizes drugs more slowly. They also have expertise working with seniors who take multiple medications and know how to cut down on the risk of adverse drug interactions.

2. Fall prevention

Falls are a leading cause of death and disability in seniors. Geriatricians address this problem by assessing a senior’s fall risk and creating a fall prevention plan that may include such interventions as home modification, assistive devices, and referral to a physical therapist for mobility and gait stability training.

3. Dementia assessment

For anyone concerned about their loved one’s cognitive health, booking a comprehensive dementia assessment is the next right step. Although a general practitioner can perform one, geriatricians are trained to recognize the difference between normal age-related memory loss and dementia, which is a disease and not a normal part of growing older.

4. End of life planning

A geriatrician can also help families plan ahead for end of life care by discussing various life-sustaining treatments as well as advance care directives.

Another thing you should be aware of is that geriatricians often work on multidisciplinary teams that include geriatric nurses, physical and occupational therapists, registered dieticians, certified diabetes educators, and social workers or psychiatrists. This team approach focuses on many aspects of the patient's life, including social support, mental health and nutrition.

Although geriatricians are the primary care providers for many older adults, some patients simply see them for a comprehensive geriatric consultation, which can be very beneficial in and of itself. This exam typically entails:

A review of medications
An analysis of pain
Cognitive testing
Osteoporosis screening
Discussion of advance care directives
Vision and hearing testing
Social work consult
A family meeting

After the consultation, the geriatrician will send the findings as well as their recommendations to the patient’s primary care physician.

Although not every senior needs to see a geriatrician, I strongly recommend that you find a geriatrician if your loved one has complex medical or social issues. These healthcare professionals can be instrumental in ensuring that your loved one enjoys the best quality of life possible.

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