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800-564-1856 419-624-1856
Inpatient Rehabilitation
The Inpatient Rehabilitation Center at Firelands Regional Medical Center provides an intensive level of care
for patients ages 18 & up, which translates into a faster recovery and better outcomes for our patients
.
firelands.com/rehab • 1111 Hayes Avenue, Sandusky
(5th floor of the main campus)
Geriatricians: Your Key To Maintaining Your Independence
As an older person who wants to
maintain your independence, it is crucial
that you know about “Geriatricians,” a
medical specialty different from family
physicians.
To illustrate the difference, Pediatricians
receive specialized medical training to treat health
conditions that affect children and Geriatricians receive
specialized medical training to treat people of older age.
I had the good fortune of interviewing Dr. Ronan
Factora, MD, a Geriatrician with the Cleveland Clinic.
He explained that Geriatricians are, generally, family
medicine doctors or internal medicine doctors who
choose to get additional medical training on providing
care to patients age 65 or older. The focus of geriatric
medicine is on maintaining independence and preserving
function in older patients.
“Just as a family physician can manage diabetes, high
blood pressure, heart failure, etc…Geriatricians do
this too, and try to minimize the negative impact these
diseases have on an older person’s functional status,”
said Dr. Factora.
“We understand the ‘geriatric syndromes’,” he said.
These are conditions that stem from a number of factors.
If properly diagnosed, the condition is treated and
function restored. Examples are memory impairment,
falling, unexplained weight loss, confusion, loss of
bladder control and physical frailty. Normally, these
conditions are often dismissed as “normal aging”.
Dr. Factora explained, “A Geriatrician sees these changes
in health and function differently. We are very attuned to
detecting the causes that often get missed.”
To get an appointment with a Geriatrician, talk to your
family doctor about referring you to a Geriatrician, or you
can make an appointment yourself.
“I like to share my findings with the family physician,”
he said. “When I recommend changes to medications,
I typically take it back to the family physician. These
changes are more successfully implemented if there is a
team approach. It’s important to have that collaboration
with the primary care doctor.”
For more information about Geriatricians at the Cleveland
Clinic, call
866.320.4573.
By Sue Daugherty
