When Mary Sterling faces an obstacle, she remembers her mother's credo: "You come from a long line of strong, independent women." Now in her 80s, that advice resonates more than ever, especially regarding her health. She still lives in her own apartment and can drive, but being strong and independent doesn't mean the same as it did in her 40s.
Adapting to Aging Needs
Sterling, a Tampa resident, recognizes that aging brings a myriad of problems. "It takes someone with special experience to take care of us," she notes. About a year ago, she switched from her primary care doctor to a geriatrician, a physician specializing in treating older adults. Sterling appreciates that her geriatrician listens more and asks age-relevant questions, focusing on improving her day-to-day quality of life rather than just treating specific ailments. Many seniors in similar situations benefit greatly from in-home assessment services in Tampa to tailor their care to their specific needs.
The Shortage of Geriatric Specialists
This personalized approach is appealing but rare, as there are few geriatric specialists in the Tampa area. With many medical schools, including the University of South Florida, not emphasizing geriatrics, the number of specialists is unlikely to grow. The American Association of Medical Schools created minimum geriatric competency guidelines in 2007, but training varies widely. Florida, home to the nation's largest percentage of residents aged 65 and older, may never have enough trained geriatricians, leading to primary care doctors who are unprepared for an aging population.
Education and Training in Geriatrics
FSU's College of Medicine, founded in 2000 with a focus on geriatrics, is the only public medical school in Florida requiring academic and clinical geriatric training in all four years. In contrast, USF and two other schools include geriatrics in short courses or clerkships, while two schools have no specific geriatric classes. Traditional medical schools are slow to adapt to the aging population's needs, says Elizabeth Bragg, a geriatric education expert at the University of Cincinnati.
The Challenges of Geriatric Medicine
Geriatrics is a relatively young field, only gaining recognition as a specialty in the late 1970s and '80s. Geriatricians consider more than medical diagnoses, assessing critical functional issues like balance and strength. Understanding a patient's ability to perform daily tasks is crucial. However, the field is unpopular among medical students due to lower salaries and the perceived lack of glamour in treating chronic and often incurable illnesses like dementia and osteoporosis.
Promoting Interest in Geriatrics
USF's lone staff geriatrician, Michelle Estevez, tries to inspire students to consider geriatrics. However, the short-term clerkship requirement for internal medicine students and her limited lecture time makes it challenging. Estevez emphasizes the rewards of treating elderly patients, despite the field's challenges.
Long-Term Solutions and Innovations
Some advocates believe focusing on undergraduate medical training is key to serving an aging population. With only 424 certified geriatric specialists in Florida and 7,500 nationwide, the demand far exceeds the supply. USF, which discontinued its geriatric fellowship, is now focusing on long-term projects like a primary care practice in The Villages senior community. A recent $3.6 million gift will create a post-residency geriatric fellowship program there, aiming to improve geriatric training for medical students in Tampa.
Conclusion
Estevez continues to support medical students interested in geriatrics and strives to balance treating illnesses with enhancing her patients' quality of life. "Every day, I make a couple of lives better," she says. "That's pretty good." As the aging population grows, the need for trained geriatric specialists becomes more urgent, requiring a collective effort to adapt medical education and practice to meet the needs of society's oldest members. This is particularly crucial for communities that offer home health care services in Seminole, private nurse services in Seminole, and other regions, ensuring that elderly residents receive the best possible care tailored to their unique needs.
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