Charles Explorer logo
🇬🇧

Fragile geriatric patient

Publication at Central Library of Charles University |
2021

Abstract

The development of civilization gradually leads to an increase in the probability of living to old age, even at a very old age. According to demographic data, the aging of the population is clearly visible, manifested by an increase in the number of old, very old and long-lived people.

With regard to this demographic prognosis, there is a gradual geriatricization of individual medical disciplines in the third millennium, which requires physicians to have at least a basic orientation in understanding geriatric issues, such as geriatric frailty and closely related geriatric syndromes. The goal of current geriatric medicine is to preserve physical and mental activity as long as possible, avert or at least delay the loss of self-sufficiency and minimize the period of life with frail syndrome.

Treatment in old age, especially late, needs to focus not only on curing acute or compensating chronic diseases, but also on maintaining or improving the patient's functional condition, and thus his self-sufficiency.