Making the health care system work better for older people

Abstract

We need multidisciplinary approaches to health care for older people

Aging: A Global Theme Issue

“… 12 (2) Those rather widely circulated journals whose October issues were devoted almost entirely to aging themes: Science, Medical Journal of Australia, Archives of Neurology, Journal of the American Medical Association, British Medical Journal, Canadian Medical Association Journal, Archives of Internal Medicine , and Journal of Internal Medicine. (3) Those journals that featured more general articles, both taking note of the implications of the growth of the over 65 population — particularly those in the oldest‐old group (85 and over), where assessment of health and social services were the dominant themes 13–15 — and noting an emerging trend to move away from aging as disease — although still dominated by falls, 16 fracture risks, 17 , 18 delirium, polypharmacy, 19 and functional decline 20 — and toward physiological considerations. These considerations may perhaps be characterized within the framework of growing old “successfully,” a concept presented 10 years ago, 21 revisited now, 22 and conceptualized as adaptation in the face of risk factors (referred to as allostatic load) 23 .…”