The American population, as is the case with most developed nations, is edging towards having a greater proportion of geriatrics in society. It is estimated that until 2040, most of the persons seeking healthcare will continue to be persons of ages 65 and above (Kaldy, 2016) . The geriatric population poses a unique dynamic to healthcare. This paper examines the key differences associated with taking care of a geriatric vis a vis a middle-aged adult. The physiology of aging has a significant effect on the physical body, making it predisposed to multiple conditions that require a different approach and care.
Most aged persons are likely to be suffering from chronic and comorbid conditions (Johnson, 2010) . This is different from middle-aged persons who are usually suffering from acute conditions that resolve after days. Chronic care has multiple stages, including counseling, to help the patients understand that they will be on their medicines for longer. Due to the comorbidities, a multidisciplinary team is usually necessary. Unlike an acute condition that is handled by a single specialist, comorbidities require specialists of each of the conditions. In handling geriatrics, due to diminished liver and kidney functions, there is usually a need for multiple monitoring through liver and kidney function tests to inform dosages accurately.
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Besides the clinical needs, old people tend to have social needs that must be well thought about in care to ensure optimal outcomes (Kaldy, 2016) . Some of the geriatrics need people at home to remind them of their medicines and facilitate them to honor clinical appointments. These may not be needs among middle-aged adults. To therefore effectively care for geriatrics, a multidisciplinary team is necessary coupled with essential psychosocial support in their healing journey.
References
Johnson, G. (2010). Essential Geriatrics – Second editionEssential Geriatrics – Second edition. Nursing Standard , 25 (3), 30–30. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns2010.09.25.3.30.b1112
Kaldy, J. (2016). Medical Director of the Year Loves the Art of Geriatrics. Caring for the Ages , 17 (4), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carage.2016.03.001
