Not so long ago, some of the medical problems seen in the elderly, such as heart disease, stroke, and fractures, would have meant an early death. Today, doctors have learned to effectively manage these conditions. And many older patients live a long time with these chronic ailments. Health care experts worry the care for the growing numbers of older Americans will become a big problem for our society. There aren t enough health care workers trained in geriatrics, the branch of medicine specifically devoted to health promotion and treatment of disease and disability in the elderly.
Many medical schools devote very little attention to geriatric medicine.
So family physicians may find themselves overburdened by the complex medical needs of the elderly. The increasing numbers of elderly Americans is also expected to have a big impact on health care cost. By 2050, nearly one in four Americans will be eligible for Medicare. But as the number of younger working Americans decreases, there will be fewer people to sustain the health care costs and living expenses for the elderly.