David Goldstein deleted answer April 20, 2018
A geriatrician is a physician who specializes in the health care of the elderly. They work to prevent and treat diseases and injuries in older adults. Overall they desire to improve the functional ability and quality of life for aging seniors.
Geriatricians commonly deal with conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, hearing and vision loss, osteoporosis, and strokes. They can also help decided on the best living arrangements for older adults and counsel patients and their families regarding end of life care. Geriatricians are also responsible for prescribing medications for older adults and making sure there are no negative drug interactions. They are sometimes put in the category of internists, physicians that treat medical problems involving internal organs.
Geriatricians are mostly found in senior residential facilities. Hospitals and nursing homes are major employers of geriatricians, yet some still have their own practices. As the baby boom generation reaches senior citizen status it is expected that one in every five Americans will be over 65 years of age between the years 2010 and 2030. Due to this there will be a rising demand for geriatricians.
