Management of the Geriatric Patient

Geriatric syndromes are complex conditions in older adults that often have many contributing factors. Examples of common geriatric syndromes include cognitive impairment, delirium, falls, frailty, weight loss, and pressure ulcers. Identifying the patients at risk for these syndromes and enacting preventive measures are also important to try to reduce the impact that many of these syndromes may have on outcomes. These syndromes can happen across many different care settings including in the community, outpatient setting, hospital, and nursing facilities. Once these syndromes are identified, management techniques often include multifactorial approaches and use both nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic means. Management strategies may include assistance from interdisciplinary team members, families, and caregivers of the patient. This review contains 30 references, 4 figures, and 4 tables. Key Words: cognition, delirium, dementia, fall, frailty, gait, geriatric, malnutrition, pressure ulcer, weight loss