The Role Of Physician Assistants In Geriatric Care

Maria Graziano

October 15, 2014

PHYA514

Professional Practice Issues and Health Policy

The prospect of practicing medicine in the near future is an incredibly exciting thought. For a long time, I was leaning towards a career in pediatrics, but over the past few years I have developed an interest in geriatric medicine. I was incredibly close with my grandparents, who I was lucky enough to have in my life for twenty-one years. After losing my grandma and grandpa within two months of one another, my desire to make an impact in the care of elderly patients has grown. While visiting my grandparents at their assisted living facility in Pittsburgh, I became close with many of the elderly residents and established several

Physician Assistants are allowed to perform a variety of medical services in nursing facilities as specified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services. 3 It is important to note that the responsibilities delegated to the Physician Assistant in a nursing facility vary to some extent based on the specific relationship between the supervising physician and Physician Assistant. Physician Assistants perform initial assessments, coordinate care plans for new patients, admit patients to the hospital, perform follow-ups and discharge patients. Physician Assistants in geriatric care manage a multitude of chronic diseases, often in combination with debilitating neurological conditions such dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, Physician Assistants obtain medical histories, order and interpret tests, and perform comprehensive examinations. Geriatric Physician Assistants address the unique needs of elderly patients including multiple medications, special nutritional needs and end of life directives and

One of the major challenges I think I would face is the emotional component that accompanies geriatric care. When treating elderly patients, death and loss of function, both physically and cognitively, are part of your daily job. Often, when caring for elderly patients, there is not much you can do in terms of curing disease or prolonging life. As a visitor and volunteer, I established relationships with the residents at my grandparent’s assisted living facility, and it was always difficult for me when residents passed away. In addition, dealing with the emotional reactions of family members and helping them to cope with the decline or loss of their loved one could prove to be a very sad and stressful part of a career in geriatrics. Working with both the patient and families concerning end of life issues is one of the major challenges I foresee in a career in