geriatricians

New Jersey: Seniors Mental Health Problems

Jennifer

 

In New Jersey, a project is being undertaken to help seniors dealing with different types of mental health issues.  The city’s Healthcare Foundation has recently made it financially viable to hire four part-time elder-life specialists (ELS) to work with the delirium program at the Overlook Medical Center.

The task of an ELS is to work with: the patient, their families, nursing staff and anyone else involved in the case.  The healthcare plan is discussed amongst all the involved parties.  These specialists are able to provide support that other healthcare individuals simply do not have the time or resources to undertake. For example, they can facilitate the process for the patient’s carers to access alternative treatments, that are not so readily available, as well as ensure proper management of the patient’s sensory impairment, providing for as much mobility as possible. 

In addition, ELS’s relieve the strain on nurses, taking over some of their tasks, such as visiting the patients on a daily basis.  It’s a huge support for everyone. 

HELP: Hospital Elder Life Programs

Hospital Elder Life Programs (HELP) are a superb invention for geriatric care.  Set up to boost the development of interdisciplinary clinical geriatric expertise in all fields, hospitals become recognized as centers for excellence in geriatric care.  It is geriatric professionals – which are often lacking in many states – that form the basis of the HELP program. 

Indeed, as noted in a previous post, as it is, in Canada for example, there are a mere 420 geriatricians available to serve 4.2 million seniors.  So at least if there are more ELS’s and HELP programs, that’s a step in the right direction.  Those professionals who form the HELP team include:  Elder Life Nurse Specialists (nurses with experience in geriatrics), Elder-Life Specialists, Geriatricians, Program Directors (a role that can be undertaken by geriatricians or elder life nurse specialists); interdisciplinary support staff and volunteers.

While there are not nearly enough geriatricians in New Jersey (a mere 298 in Morristown), the increase in elder-life specialists and other workers in the HELP program, will definitely be of assistance.  Just looking at the statistics nationwide, it seems that according to Care Family there is an estimated increase for the next two decades of 13 to 20 percent in the senior population.  Morristown, NJ will follow suit.  Thus more carers – in all professional capacities – for the elderly, are required.  Further, 13.5 percent of the population of NJ is over-65 right now, which is slightly higher than the 13 percent nationwide average.

It is hoped that geriatric care and special assistance for those elderly battling mental health issues will improve in New Jersey as well as nationwide.

Becoming a Geriatrician

Jennifer

Geriatric doctors do not exactly have the most well-respected reputation in the medical industry.  But sometimes, that can be an attraction.  At least it was for Dr. Adrian Wagg.  He kept on hearing that working with seniors was boring and certainly not even close to the glamor one gets as a heart surgeon.  It also wasn’t as exciting as being an ER doctor and the pay isn’t much to write home about either.  So why go into that field? (This is probably why there is such a shortage of these doctors – who, as our population ages and we fight off more diseases and there is an increase of seniors – are few and far between). Indeed, according to Statistics Canada, in Canada today there are 4.2 million seniors – a figure that is expected to increase to 9.8 million in the next 25 years. With only 230 geriatricians to serve them, there is a severe shortage.

Unpopular Medical Choice

Clearly it’s not a profession young doctors want to take on either.  Out of these 230 in Canada, a mere seven are under the age of 35.  It is said that a good 500 more Geriatricians are required for the country. This really shouldn’t be so difficult given that there are many qualified doctors there, who just choose other areas of expertise.  Looking at ER doctors for example, the country has 628 of these, with 46 being under the 35-year group. And when it comes to the antithesis of Geriatrics, Canada has a staggering 2,372 pediatricians, of whom 152 are younger than 35.

Geriatrics in the UK

Interestingly, the situation is somewhat different in the UK.  It is quite a popular choice of residency, perhaps due to the fact that it is one of the few specialties without caps on positions.  Dr. Wagg found one of his teachers very influential there and thus wanted to follow in his footsteps and today is director of geriatric medicine at the University of Alberta.  For him personally, become a Geriatrician was particularly attractive because it would enable him to work in both academia and practice as a doctor.  It has also been pointed out how important it is to understand the ageing population as truthfully, every patient is aging!  So more medical students really need to consider this field as a career option.

NorthEast Florida Lacks Adequate Geriatric Care

Jennifer

It’s a sorry situation when a fifth of the town is elderly, yet there are no geriatric doctors to take care of them.  But that is exactly what is happening in Putnam County, Florida.  And it’s not just Florida that’s suffering either; apparently this phenomenon is affecting the whole of the country and is only going to get worse as the baby boomers become seniors over the next few decades. 

This is not good and it is a problem that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later, when there are even more seniors requiring specialized eldercare.  Indeed, according to statistics from the American Geriatrics Society, there is approximately one geriatrician available for every 2,600 75+ year-olds!  That is a staggering inadequacy and if this continues, then by 2030 the rate will be 1 to 3,800.  Currently, the rate for pediatricians to kids is 1 for every 1,300.

America has to start realizing just how undervalued geriatricians are as well.  They seem to be paid less but end up listening more to their patients and understand the seniors’ bodies extremely well.  Seniors are definitely better off seeing a geriatrician than a regular family doctor due to their specific training in illnesses and lifestyle issues more common with the elderly population and how to help their families in times of difficulty, again more common in the senior sector.

It seems though that it is not such an attractive prospect for medics to go into. Many are leaving the profession that is already understaffed.  Perhaps it is not so surprising since they are paid very little – especially when compared to other medical doctors.  According to the Medical Group Management Association, the average salary in 2010 was $183,523.  Other specialists get at least double or triple of this.

Clearly, if America is to care for its citizens’ general health, it needs to invest more in encouraging doctors to want to train and stay as geriatric doctors.  As the baby boomers age, our population gets older and thus more of these doctors are needed throughout the nation.