Geriatrics

The aging body is more prone to injury and disease in later life. E. Leon Thompson, DO, of Thompson Medical Group in Peoria, Arizona, provides expert geriatric medicine to people with age-related health problems. You can benefit from medication and chronic disease management, along with specialized treatment for diseases that often present at an older age, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, and dementia. Learn more about the geriatrics services offered at Thompson Medical Group by calling the office or booking an in-person or telehealth appointment online today.

What is geriatrics?

Geriatrics provides expert health care to older people. It’s common for people to develop health problems as they age, and the risk of injury increases, too, as you get less steady on your feet.

Thompson Medical Group’s geriatric medicine providers have specialized skills that help you manage age-related health conditions and reduce your chances of falls and other injuries. 

Which geriatric conditions might affect me?

Geriatric medical conditions are often incurable and can cause significant challenges to the people they affect. Some common problems Thompson Medical Group sees include:

Dementia

Dementia is a symptom of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. It causes memory loss, confusion, agitation, and, eventually, a loss of physical function. There’s no cure for dementia, but treatment helps slow its rate of progress and improve the quality of life. 

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a gradual loss of bone density that occurs in later life, especially in women. It makes your bones weak, so they break easily. If you have osteoporosis, you could fracture a hip or other bones from a simple fall. You could also suffer vertebral compression fractures in your spine that cause a hump in your upper back.

High blood pressure

Blood pressure typically rises with age. Untreated, it can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Your Thompson Medical Group provider helps you manage your blood pressure with a healthier lifestyle and medications where appropriate. 

Other common conditions in older age include heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, sight and hearing loss, osteoarthritis, and Parkinson’s disease.   

What does geriatric care involve?

Your Thompson Medical Group provider coordinates with specialists you might see for conditions like heart disease and dementia that are common in older people. That ensures you receive consistent, streamlined care. 

Thompson Medical Group also offers primary care, preventive medicine, and chronic disease management services tailored to geriatric patients’ needs. The experienced geriatrics experts take an integrative approach that uses the most effective conventional and complementary therapies.

Who can benefit from geriatric medicine?

Geriatric medicine is appropriate for anyone in later life. You might particularly benefit if you have one or more chronic medical conditions (especially those associated with aging) and take multiple prescription medications.

Patients experiencing challenges such as memory loss and functional decline could also find specialized geriatric medicine helpful.

To find out if you could benefit from high-quality geriatric medicine, call Thompson Medical Group or go online to schedule a consultation today.