Will You Really Need a Geriatrician When You're 65?

Since many older Americans at 65 are healthy, vigorous, and mentally sound, with no urgent need to change doctors, the question of switching to a geriatrician can be complicated, reports the Washington Post . Nils Barzilai at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine says choosing to see a geriatrician "should never be age specific. Biological age and chronological age are not the same. Asking what age to start seeing a geriatrician is not the right question. The right questions are: 'What conditions do you have? Are you mobile? Are you starting to get frail? Are you losing weight, or not walking well? Can you shop? Can you get to your apartment? Can you live by yourself?'" American Geriatrics Society President Laurie Jacobs recommends a geriatrician for anyone who is frail and with multiple health conditions requiring numerous medications. "They probably need someone to organize all their care," she says. "If someone has troubles functionally or cognitively, a neurologist can evaluate, but doesn't take care of you." However, the United States is in the grip of a national shortage, with the American Geriatrics Society estimating that only 6,910 certified geriatricians, including 3,590 full-time practicing geriatricians, are in the country. Still, many primary care providers may lack certification but nevertheless have considerable experience treating geriatrics.