Geriatric medical humanities: fresh insights into ageing and geriatric medicine

“The Old Man” by Hans Holbein the Younger

“…Geriatric and palliative care harness the power of modern science in a humanistic manner for essentially the same purpose. 4 Critical challenges include resisting the pressures of modern medicine which often emphasize curing over caring, while considering ethnic and cultural diversity. 5 Geriatrics and palliative care therefore combine art and medicine to address universal truths of aging, furthering Holbein's message of promoting social justice across all strata of society.…”

“…Holbein's image shows that music and a gentle hand can allay the fear, pain, and anxiety of the burdens of advanced age and death. Geriatric and palliative care harness the power of modern science in a humanistic manner for essentially the same purpose 4 . Critical challenges include resisting the pressures of modern medicine which often emphasize curing over caring, while considering ethnic and cultural diversity 5 .…”

Gerontology is essential to the identity of geriatric medicine

“…Both, a negative perception of ageing as well as a too idealistic representation of successful and healthy ageing, do not help to incorporate into clinical practice the consideration of vulnerability in old age while dealing with older people with varying states of physical and cognitive disability. Cultural gerontology provides useful tools for better understanding the complex integration of resilience and richness with age-related vulnerability and frailty, and the meaning and individual experience of ageing [6].…”

“…Geriatricians need to be equipped with the complexities of dealing with losses, death and dying but also with the richness, gains, and growth in later life. Ageing is a dynamic process that leads to new abilities and knowledge that we need to understand and consider in our medical work to include medical humanities into the healthcare system [6]. Engagement with the patient is set within a humanistic moral framework that recognizes the older person in front of us as a valuable person, respecting his/her dignity and values, in every situation including psychosocial perspectives, and accomplishing a patient-centred, humanistic care.…”

“…The crucial importance of integrating social and cultural gerontology into the basic knowledge and practice of the geriatricians is still underestimated. Further developing the medical humanities in geriatric medicine represents an important enrichment of the geriatrician's profession [6,7].…”