Saturday, December 3, 2011

Senior Citizens and Geriatrics
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It is a fact that apart from a class of special attention to be given to all senior citizens,their health and special mode of living ,are to be taken into consideration.This comes under Geriatrics,which is a Medical specialty in present days.This specialty is catching up these days ,in order to keep the senior citizens healthy,active and to have good living with others in the Society.
For any specific ailment and need for Medical help,senior citizens do go to a Physician or other Medical specialist as per the need.Apart from this,senior citizens do have general Geriatric problems some times,pertaining to complaints like dullness,inactivity,feeling of isolation from others etc etc.All these occur in old age,in general.To get out of these problems of health,the help and advice of Geriatric Specialist is needed.The Geriatric specialists are the kind of people who can counsel the senior citizens in an appropriate way in order to make them responsive to to become healthy and active.These specialists are calm,quiet and patient to listen to the expressions and feelings of the senior citizens who come with varied complaints.The remedy in such cases involves more of good counseling than any medical treatment.
I am now 81 years old.I remember,more than five or six decades ago there were Medical Practitioners,who used to be M.B.B.S.doctors only,in many towns and even small cities.They used to visit some houses in which they used to be known as Family doctors.Such relationship between a doctor and a patient used to create immense satisfaction among the public.Such doctors used to be very close to the family and their problems were being put forth by the family members for the Doctors'advice,in all respects.This practice no more exists now and it is also not possible to revive it.So now we can certainly have Geriatric centers in all towns and villages.I understand there is one in Bengaluru,by name 'Sunset Clinic' which is running very well.So we may move in this direction to provide such facilities to all of us,senior citizens.

U.S.N.Murty.
Bargarh
Orissa