Interdisciplinary Seminar Series

The Presentation of Illness in Older Adults

Offered:

• October 19^th, 2005 at 8:30am

Americans are living longer and the "baby-boomers" are approaching "retirement-age". By 2020, 54 million adults older than 65 years of age will be living in the United States with the greatest predicted growth in those over the age of 85 years. By 2050 the projected population will be 82 million. Yet the burden of disease upon the older adult is significant with older adults carrying, on average, 3-4 chronic illnesses and requiring more medications than their younger counterparts.

The clinical care of these older adults, however, is not the same as the care of younger adults. The landscape of signs and symptoms of disease is broader. Manifestations of distress are more subtle and the consequences of disease are much more significant, particularly upon functional independence and caregiver needs.

In this seminar, the assessment and management of older adults will be explored and discussed with the following main goals and objectives:

Goals and Objectives

1. Provide general guidelines on the assessment of the older adult, including functional and cognitive assessments.
2. Evaluate our own perceptions of older adult clinical needs and changes.
3. Discuss typical and atypical clinical presentations of disease seen in older adults.
4. Demonstrate the structure and effectiveness of the interdisciplinary team approach to clinical management of frail, older adults.
5. Build curiosity, interest, and enthusiasm in the field of geriatrics

Students
Minimum Number: 8
Maximum Number: 12

Agenda

The seminar will follow an interactive case-based small-group approach. There will also be role-playing exercises following an interdisciplinary team approach to care, which is the cornerstone of geriatric assessment and management. Pertinent articles will be provided prior to the seminar.