Interview With Elderly Patients In Mind Summary

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Within the article, New Healthcare Models Arise with Elderly Patients in Mind, the author discusses the various aspects of senior health care that need to be addressed and altered before our population is mainly composed of older adults (Firger, 2013). The article discusses the health journey of James Sphar who lives in Texas. In order to go to the hospital for his various chronic illnesses he needs to drive one hour, which is unrealistic and unsafe for many older adults. Further, he has numerous illnesses, which require different specialists. He is the key individual who updates his primary care physician and other specialists on the health care he has received, because he always has had difficulty accessing his medical records. As he gets older he is unable to perform these duties, causing even more fragmentations in the care he obtains. Moreover, many older adults have this issue and have many different specialists for their conditions. However, all these specialists do not communicate with one another, creating difficulty in transferring medical information. This can allow …show more content…

Geriatric doctors are better equipped to care for older adults, as they are knowledgeable and aware of what treatments/care are/is needed. Doctors’ who do not specialize in geriatrics are making mistakes on choosing the appropriate medication or care needed for individuals to improve their health. Further, these geriatric centers will be better equipped with features that are appropriate for senior citizens, such as handrails, skid-proof floors, etc. (Firger, 2013). The creation of these facilities allows for the fragmented system to become more person-centered and coordinated, since the facilities overall structure is better prepared to handle care for the older adult population. Senior citizens are advised to receive care from geriatric professionals who are specialized and aware of the care senior citizens should

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