Geriatric Medicine

The SPECAL (Specialised Early Care for Alzheimer's) method aims to give patients with dementia a feeling of being in control and being able to make decisions which are carried out. It incorporates a number of core tools and best practice…

Metastatic bone disease is a common cause of pain and disability for patients with advanced cancer. Early detection and appropriate management can limit pain, reduce disability and prevent complications such as hypercalcaemia, pathological…

The benefits of strict glycaemic control in delaying the onset and progression of micro and macrovascular complications in diabetes are undisputed but determining appropriate HbA1c targets remains controversial. This is a particular dilemma…

A significant proportion of older mental health patients will need to be transferred to a district general hospital for assessment and treatment of comorbid physical conditions. What is the best way to do this?

Coronary heart disease peaks in the older age groups and cholesterol lowering can help reduce the risk. The aim of treating hyperlipidaemia is to prevent or reduce the risk and complications of CVD. Such risk reduction includes nondrug…

Social care/domiciliary care is purchased by or on behalf of thousands of elderly people in the UK who wish to remain living in their own home. The majority of social care is delivered on an hourly basis from early in the morning to later…

Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) may be defined as the presence of visual hallucinations in the absence of mental illness, associated with deterioration in visual acuity. The underlying pathophysiology of CBS is poorly understood; partly due…

In response to the needs and demands of an ageing population, the specialty of Geriatric Medicine has evolved rapidly in recent decades. But has it evolved enough to attract new doctors to the field?

Pain can be broadly grouped into four categories namely nociceptive, neuropathic, mixed and pain of unknown origin. Mixed pain is a combination of nociceptive and neuropathic pain. This article serves to highlight the presence of mixed pain…

Many patients with dementia will in the later stages develop distressing behavioural symptoms. Antipsychotics are commonly used to treat this; however, as a class have been associated with serious adverse events in this vulnerable…

In part two of his three part series on the National Service Framework for Older People, Professor Ian Philp reviews its development and how it is still possible to implement much of the NSF's aims.

Economically we are in very tough times in this country, public sector pay has been restricted and since most doctors are employed in the state system, this has a direct effect on a medic's take home pay. However, what has really hit home…

Migraine is a common complaint in all age groups, but the diagnosis and treatment in an older population require special consideration.

Paget's disease of bone becomes increasingly more common with age with a prevalence of 10% at the age of 70 years. The diagnosis may be missed unless the clinician is vigilant, recognises the presenting features, and investigates further.…

The British Association of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN) recommend that all hospital in-patients should have nutritional screening, and this also applies to those with bone fractures. Preventing and managing malnutrition is an…