Focus on Geriatric Medicine and Aging

Dr. William Hall, director of the Center for Healthy Aging at Highland Hospital in Rochester, New York, discusses with host Dr. Maurice Pickard the unprecedented increase in members of our population age 85 and older, and the role this may play in exceptional longevity. We know more today than we ever have before about disease factors that cause disability and frailty, such as depression, neuromuscular stability, cognitive status and urinary incontinence. How will these factors help to support older patients?

How is self-neglect defined and how prevalent is it in the elderly population? Dr. Lisa Gibbs, professor in the department of family medicine at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, defines self-neglect and explains why it is a geriatric syndrome. She describes how to conduct a comprehensive assessment for self neglect, and discusses the relevant research. Hosted by Susan Dolan.

Dr. Lisa Gibbs, associate professor in the department of family medicine at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, describes the different types of elder abuse and who is most vulnerable. She explains how physicians evaluate mental capacity and the difference between capacity and competency. She also discusses the latest research in elder abuse. Hosted by Susan Dolan.

Dr. Stacy Tessler Lindau, assistant professor in the departments of OB/GYN and geriatrics and the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center, discusses the findings of her landmark study on the sexual practices of older Americans. Older adults are indeed sexually active and healthcare providers need to discuss issues of sexuality with this group of patients. How may one approach this sometimes difficult to address topic and what should be discussed with our older adult patients? Hosted by Dr. Lee Freedman.

What does the research show about why men as a whole approach healthcare differently than women? How do physical, mental and environmental factors impact male health? Dr. Marianne J. Legato, professor of medicine at Columbia University and author of Why Men Die First: How to Lengthen Your Lifespan, joins host Dr. Maurie Pickard to discuss andropause, male depression, and heart health, as well as the general subject of disease, and risk-taking, screening feelings about mortality, and more.

More than five million Americans struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. How can you determine if your patients' moments of forgetfulness are an early sign of this illness? How can you help families make tough decisions about independent living? Dr. Jill Grimes, a practicing family physician in Austin, Texas, and author of the chapter on Alzheimer’s in the 5-Minute Clinical Consult textbook, joins host Dr. Jennifer Shu to share her insight on diagnosing, caring for and counseling our Alzheimer’s patients. What adjustments can we make to our practice to best assist patients and their families coping with the burdens of Alzheimer’s?

In the later stages of life, patient care often requires a different approach. How can a physician help geriatric patients and their loved ones through the last stations of life: decline, prelude to dying, dying and grieving? Dr. Dennis McCullough, associate professor of community and family medicine at Dartmouth School of Medicine and practicing geriatrician for 30 years, joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to explain ‘slow medicine.' Dr. McCullough discusses a forward approach to planning, understanding a patient's comfort with risk vs. safety, as well as building and using a team.

Dr. Dennis McCullough embodies the Tibetan wisdom 'make haste slowly.' How can we navigate caring for our elders with compassion and understanding? Dr. Dennis McCullough has been an in the-trenches family doc and geriatrician for 30 years. He serves as a faculty member in the department of community and family medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. He is author of the book My Mother, Your Mother: Embracing 'Slow Medicine,' the Compassionate Approach to Caring for Your Loved Ones. What exactly is slow medicine? Tune in for host Dr. Leslie Lundt's conversation with Dr. McCullough to find out.

Dr Gary Small is Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and the Parlow-Solomon Professor on Aging at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is a leading expert on memory and aging, joining host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss his latest book, The Longevity Bible.

What are the greatest challenges as we age? Will healthcare and lifestyle improve concurrently? In one of the first conferences of its kind, the UCLA Center on Aging presented a one-day symposium featuring a discussion among national academic and industry leaders about the interface between new technology and aging. Host Dr. Leslie Lundt examines this intersection with Dr. Gary Small, director of the UCLA Center on Aging, and a leading expert on memory and aging.