Managing Older People in Primary Care: A Practical Guide

Older people have complex and unique primary care needs. The frequent occurrence of co-morbidities, polypharmacy, psychological, and social and functional impairments can impact the way problems present themselves. This reduced evidence-base makes the diagnosis and treatment challenging for the primary care physician. The provision of healthcare is becoming more community-based and national service frameworks have highlighted the special healthcare needs of the elderly. This means that treating older patients will continue to be, and increasingly become a larger proportion of the daily work of the general practitioner.

Packed full of practical and down to earth advice for clinicians specializing in the care of older people, this book examines real problems that present on a day-to-day basis in the primary care environment. It provides GPs with specific advice and guidance to help them in the management of the often complex conditions that present in older people. Written by practicing clinicians who are experts in the field, this book covers a diverse range of subjects from stroke medicine to incontinence to the role the voluntary sector plays in the care of older people. It includes clinical case scenarios throughout and color photographs in chapters on areas such as ophthalmology and dermatology, allowing readers to better understand the topics being discussed.

Since the book is both easy to read and most chapters are authored by a specialist in geriatrics or a general practitioner, this provides GPs, community and practice nurses, and those specializing in the care of elderly patients with an indispensable resource.