Who cares? A microplan for geriatric practice.
Geriatric medicine is defined and difficulties in the attainment of its ideals are described, both in Great Britain, where the specialty was born, and in South Africa. As regards the situation in South Africa, it is likely in the foreseeable future that the load will be carried by a wide range of clinicians in hospitals and the community, and that we shall not see the emergence of geriatricians as specialists in their own right except in a few academic departments. In laying down guidelines for practice an attempt has been made to describe the elements of geriatric medicine that it is hoped can be practised by any doctor performing this work. These elements have been presented as a microplan for geriatric practice.
D000368:Aged; D003256:Community Participation; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010819:Physician's Role; D013019:South Africa; D013727:Terminal Care