Published in:
15-06-2023 | Editorial
Towards a Real Personalized Geriatric Medicine: The Example of the Prevention of Hospital-Acquired Disability
Authors:
N. Martínez-Velilla, B. M. Buurman
Published in:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging
|
Issue 6/2023
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Excerpt
It is striking that a clinical situation like hospital-acquired disability (HAD) continues to be such an important and prevalent issue in the lives of older adults despite the continuous and repeated evidence that geriatric management can efficiently prevent such risk. Geriatric patients who require hospitalization are highly vulnerable to significant functional and cognitive decline, and more than 20–30% of admitted patients develop HAD within the first 24–48 hours (
1‐
5). This does not imply that hospitalizations are inherently negative since numerous diagnostic and therapeutic procedures require an intensive approach. However, the archaic model of hospitalization tends to prioritize the use of the best and most advanced technology, forgetting that we are not treating diseases, but rather patients. What is even more peculiar is that some of the earliest articles addressing this problem were published almost a century ago (
6,
7). In fact, several of Marjorie Warren’s most important articles address this issue and make it clear that comprehensive geriatric approaches are the cornerstone that should guide the treatment and care of hospitalized geriatric patients, integrating aspects such as exercise, occupational therapy, or physiotherapy in these settings (
8,
9). …
