Principles and Practice of Geriatric Medicine

This work aims to provide a comprehensive reference source on the medicine of old age. It deals with the management of disease, the maintenance of health in the elderly and a range of subjects relevant to clinical, social and preventative aspects of geriatric medicine. Social environment is recognised as one of the major influences on the health of old people; its relevance and the importance of community aspects of ageing, home conditions, health education, continuing care, rehabilitation, physical and mental fitness, nutrition and preventive medicine and epidemiology are discussed. The clinical section occupies the greater part of the book, dealing with each major system in the body, how it changes in old age, and the diseases likely to affect it. The fundamentals of physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology are covered where they are particularly relevant to disease and current views on diagnosis, treatment and management are presented.
Common problems in old age, such as obesity, incontinence, diabetes, falls, and pressure sores are discussed, as well as the physiological and psychological changes which occur and can effect sleep, sexuality, communication, memory, balance and the senses. This book, with its depth of coverage of a very wide range of subjects, represents a landmark in the progress towards complete medical care of the elderly.