Many of us can remember back to the days when our family doctor, carrying his little black bag, came to see us when we were sick. He knew us and our whole family. For many of us, modern medicine is a far cry from this kind of personal service.
Geriatricians are medical doctors who are specially trained in the care of older adults.
The goal of geriatric primary care is to maintain health and independence . Primary care doctors who are geriatricians take care of the whole person, not just the illness, and coordinate all aspects of medical and health care. This goal and philosophy is a key difference from other types of specialties and care. When a person needs a specialist for treatment of a specific illness or condition, the patient may be referred to a physician with that expertise or specialization. But, all aspects of overall care are coordinated by their primary care physician.