In just over 20 years, all 78 million baby boomers will have reached their "coming of age." When this demographic milestone occurs, one in every five Americans will be at least 65 years old; millions will have comorbid and chronic conditions requiring better prepared health care providers and markedly improved services than are presently…

Reviews the present status of geriatrics in academic medicine and suggests that an understanding of academic medicine is needed in order to secure the institutionalization of geriatric medicine. Offers some predictions on the future of geriatric medicine. (JAC)

Discusses the Compression of Morbidity hypothesis, which maintains that the age of onset of significant disability may be moved upward by postponement of chronic illness. Objections to the thesis are examined, a series of qualitative and quantitative confusions are discussed, and predictions for the future offered. (Author/JAC)

To successfully practice geriatrics, one must keep up-to-date with rapidly evolving knowledge, recognize heterogeneity among older people, seek answers through longitudinal studies, and accept no symptoms nor loss of function as being simply old age. Functional loss must be the focus and thus rehabilitation is essential to good geriatric care.…

Obtaining a valid informed consent from an elderly person, especially with possible senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type, first may involve solving the practical problems of effective communication. Impediments to effective communication with these individuals is discussed and suggestions for how to obviate them are given. (Author/BL)

This discussion of geriatric rehabilitation stresses the importance of holistic and permanent rehabilitation with a fluent transition from the acute phase to the rehabilitation phase under one specialist's care and in one institution. Recommendations include mixed age groups in one ward; systematic education of relatives; follow-up rehabilitation…

Efforts to prepare faculty to teach students to work with culturally diverse populations of older adults included conferences on course content and instructional methods and minifellowships in ethnogeriatrics. Most faculty reported changing course content to include knowledge gained from the training. (SK)

Emphasizes need for feminization of geriatric mental health and calls attention to issues for older women. Warns that few mental health professionals are knowledgeable about gender differences in development or about late life development/aging. Notes that therapists who rely on personal experience with older persons, both positive and negative,…

This theme issue discusses maximizing the benefits and minimizing the risks of drug therapy for older people. It includes articles on psychoactive drugs, drug-related problems, medication compliance, geriatric psychopharmacotherapy, consumer guidelines, and outpatient prescriptions drug coverage as it relates to health care reform. (JOW)

Describes Rosemary Rizzo Parse's Man-Living-Health theory that was used to describe how gerontological nursing knowledge could be developed through a nursing conceptual model that includes a defined practice and research methodology. (Author/JOW)

Discusses emotional, social, medical, and nutritional needs of older people, and stresses the need for education of the families of the elderly and the need for a coordinated approach to service delivery to this population. In this way, maximum independence of the aged can be achieved. (NRJ)

The improvement and expansion of health care for our older population must now be a major priority of all health care providers. All allied health professionals should strive to learn more about the processes of aging and translate this knowledge into specialized services and medical care for older people. (Author/CT)

Discusses the trend away from geriatrics training in family medicine residency despite the growing need in society. Asserts that family medicine is failing to seize an opportunity to advance the care of older adults and discusses what would constitute acceptable training in geriatrics and how it should fit into the family medicine curriculum. (EV)

Focuses on the supports and impediments inherent in the provision of geriatric medical care by family physicians. Addresses providing a good educational program for medical students and residents who will be caring for the elderly and developing uniform access to quality care for the elderly, the community, and community institutions. (Author/ABB)

A good experiential training program in geriatrics provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge in the basic pharmaceutical disciplines; develop management and communication skills; formulate corrective and preventive strategies; and learn rational, safe, and effective drug use among the elderly. (MLW)