Important Senior Health Info

Getting the care you need: Find your health care ‘quarterback’

65 or older? Why you should add a geriatrician to your health care team.

With 10,000 Americans turning 65 every day, the demand for geriatricians continues to grow. And despite a shortage of certified geriatricians as the demand increases, many geriatricians will see a patient on a one-time or as-needed basis and then make recommendations to the patient’s primary care physician.

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(BPT) — Are you 65 or older? While your primary care doctor may be an internist or general practitioner, have you thought about adding a geriatrician to your health care team?

A geriatrician can act as your health care “quarterback,” helping to ensure you get the specific care you need, as well as coordinating care with specialists.

“Our health needs often change dramatically in our later years,” said Dr. Efrem Castillo, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement. “The kind of care you deliver to an older adult is not the same as for a middle-aged person. The physiology of older people is very different from people in other stages of life.”