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Post by jeremy on Nov 22, 2006 1:15:13 GMT -5
This is the million dollar question! Dr. Audrey Chun described the need for elder care? People want to live longer but in a “40 year old Body”. This just isn’t possible. People used to die from infectious diseases like TB, pneumonia, and the flu. Now, people are living longer and dying from chronic diseases like high blood pressure, heart failure and stroke which all require treatment over time. The system is set up to treat acute diseases and perform procedures, however, it becomes burdened when confronting chronic disease Treating chronic disease is time consuming. It can easily take 15 minutes to get to the heart of the matter and diagnose what is going on and office visits are limited. How can the system adjust to this new reality? How can we increase the number of geriatricians trained to provide care for the elderly? What do you think?
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Post by Joan on Nov 22, 2006 2:04:25 GMT -5
It is disconcerting to learn that less than 1/5 newly-trainned doctors (or is it less?) will be geriatricians. As more Americans enter their 70s and beyond, they need special medical care. Professionals that specialize in elder care are in urgent need. As a society, we need specialists who understand the needs of elder patients. Research grants, loan-forgivable programs for new physicians, or increasing funding at the state level can help allievate the situation. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to maintain a standard of life for aging grandmoms/pas.
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Post by sunil patel on Nov 28, 2006 12:07:02 GMT -5
Joan, I think you make a great point. I couldn't agree more! This program highlights the special needs of the 85 and ups. Since they are the fastest growing segment of the population, they will need special medical care. There need to be incentives like grants and loan forgivable programs to encourage young doctors to go into geriatrics.
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Post by ddddyyyy on Aug 17, 2009 3:37:40 GMT -5
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