Who needs to see a geriatrician?

Malaysia classifies elderly persons to be above the age of 65, but consultant physician and geriatrician at Subang Jaya Medical Centre Dr Lam Ngee Wei says the need to see a geriatrician largely depends on the person’s general health. He explains that geriatricians work as health coordinators for elderly patients who have multiple medical illnesses, consume a variety of medications, or experience a form of disability.

Therefore, an 80-year-old man who leads an active lifestyle with normal cognitive function and maybe has only one medical condition such as high cholesterol does not need to see a geriatrician. A regular check-up with a general physician is enough. On the other hand, a 50-year-old with multiple medical conditions or a functional disability can choose to see a geriatrician even if he is not yet classified as an elderly person.

For seniors who do not want to see a geriatrician, Dr Lam advises loved ones to understand the elderly’s reluctance. “It may be out of fear, thinking it is a waste of money, a distrust for new doctors or other reasons. So, we need to figure out what the elderly person’s reluctance stems from and solve the problem accordingly.”

He suggests that family members bring in a third party the patient respects and trusts, such as their primary care doctor, an older member of the family or even a religious leader to advise them to see a geriatrician. Besides that, he cautions elderly patients’ family members to not put too much pressure on the patient, but instead persuade them gently to take their geriatric health journey one step at a time. If the patient is comfortable with the experience in his first visit to the geriatrician, he would want to go back of his own volition.