10 Principles of Geriatric Care
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Phone: 573-884-3337 Fax: 573-884-2988 Email: GrayM@health.missouri.edu |
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Multidisciplinary Show consideration for the unique perspectives and contributions of each member of the multidisciplinary team caring for older patients. |
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Family Caregivers Respect the importance of family caregivers in the life of the older patient, and the individual needs of caregivers. |
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Evidence-based Strive to be evidence-based in the conduct of practice, recognizing the unending importance of the art of medicine. |
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Drugs Pay special attention to the principles of geriatric pharmacology, including the avoidance of polypharmacy and its unnecessary side effects. |
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Cost Effective Consider the costs of care, particularly those costs generated by physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic diseases. |
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Quality of Life Improve and sustain quality of life and function more commonly than length of life, and attend to comfort, always. |
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Relationships Acknowledge the primacy of a doctor-patient relationship based on mutual respect, communication, trust, and continuity. |
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Advocacy Advocate for the elderly patient across settings of care: provide conscientious diagnosis and treatment, elicit and implement goals of care, and commit to service quality. |
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Ethics Value and uphold the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice in the care of patients. |
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End-of-life care Struggle to preserve the health and autonomy of older persons while recognizing that decline, disability, and death are inevitable developmental stages of aging. |
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Donald W. Reynolds Programs in Geriatrics Office of Medical Education MA215 Medical Sciences Building University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO 65212 |