Geriatric Practice: A Competency Based Approach to Caring for Older Adults

As Baby Boomers begin to age, physicians working with older patients in the US and abroad face increasing demands for care. The field of geriatric medicine is small, and the output from medical school only declines as this demand grows. As these trends continue, medical professionals across specialties and clinical focuses will be forced to accommodate these patients, and much of the workforce may not be trained in the unique needs of an older age patient. To meet these challenges, the geriatric workforce will need trustworthy resources that address these gaps. Geriatric medical training programs will need a thorough curriculum that thoughtfully promotes education. By unifying the medical curriculum with the geriatric board certification competencies, this book aims to train clinicians of the future to deliver the best care possible to the aging population.

In this vein, the book serves as a comprehensive reference for the basic principles of caring for older adults, directly corresponding to the key competencies for medical students and residents and integrating these competencies into the geriatric curriculum. These competencies are covered in 10 sections, each with chapters that target the skills and knowledge necessary for certification. Each of the 40 chapters follow a consistent format for ease of use, beginning with learning objectives and concluding with a review of the most salient points for mastery. Each chapter also includes brief cases to provide context to the clinical reasoning behind the competency, strengthening the core understanding necessary to physicians of the future. The book also features easy-to-use appendices that serve as a quick guide to some of the most important guidelines addressed on the board certification exam.

Written by expert educators and clinicians in geriatric medicine, Geriatric Practice is a key resource for students and residents in geriatric medicine, family and internal medicine, specialties, hospice and nursing home training, and all clinicians studying to work with aging patients.