Health Care of the Elderly

Abstract

OVER the next several decades the practice of medicine in the United States will be increasingly influenced by the health care needs of our rapidly enlarging elderly population. Just as children are not merely young versions of adults, the elderly are not simply old adults. They require special approaches and an understanding of the physiologic, psychosociological, and pathologic impacts of aging. This paper discusses the special considerations important to the proper evaluation of elderly patients, highlights some current controversies in the field, and reviews recent progress in the management of several common clinical problems in the elderly.Coupling Longevity with . . .