There are doctors for all stages of life. A pediatrician is a doctor who specializes in infants and children. A family doctor is a general physician who sees people of all ages. A geriatrics doctor is one who specializes in elderly patients. You can learn more about geriatrics doctors when you keep reading:
What a geriatrics doctor can do
When someone goes to a geriatrics doctor, they can have all the same things done that they would at a family doctor. This includes regular exams, tests, diagnosis, regular monitoring of conditions, vaccinations, referrals, and more.
Why a geriatrics doctor is a good choice for an older patient
Someone may think they are doing fine with their family physician, even when they become older. While a family doctor is a capable medical professional, there are just some benefits to an elderly patient going to a geriatrics doctor. A geriatrics doctor whose primary focus is the health and well-being of the elderly will have specialized training in treating the elderly. They will continue to educate themselves on any changes in the geriatrics field. This includes new treatments and conditions that are of concern to the elderly community.
A geriatrics doctor can be an especially competent diagnostician when it comes to diagnosing issues that tend to be an increased concern for the older community. Since the doctor sees so many patients in that age range, they will be exposed to a lot of the conditions more often than other doctor probably are. This helps the geriatrics doctor to quickly and accurately diagnose and treat their patients. A quick diagnosis and treatment can make all of the difference to an elderly person, since their health can go downhill quickly when they are combating illnesses and conditions.
Conclusion
If you are elderly and you aren't seeing a geriatrics doctor yet, then you may want to seriously consider making that change. You should make a new patient appointment as soon as you know you want to make the switch to a geriatrics doctor. It can take a while for you to get that first appointment in some cases. Once you have your new patient visit, then you will be considered an ongoing patient of the doctor. This means you will go to them for any and all health related concerns you have. The geriatrics doctor will start taking over all your care that the doctor you are switching from did, and you will also go to the geriatric doctor when you are sick with anything concerning, such as the flu or another illness.
For more information, contact a company like San Fernando Medical.
