The short answer from a geriatric medicine specialist
A: A geriatrician is a doctor who is a successful aging specialist. We have additional training in successful aging – so not just treating diseases of the elderly but also preventing diseases of the elderly.
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
What we do is very distinct and unique. We are not trying to duplicate what your primary care physician does. Your primary care physician knows you well, and you have a relationship that has been built over time. We very much want you to have that. But we want you, in addition, to come in and see your aging specialist once a year.
We will talk about issues that might not come up in conversation with your primary care physician, such as:
There are about 52 ways that our bodies naturally change between ages 50 and 80 – things like eyesight, hearing and memory. We can talk through those things and differentiate between what’s normal and what’s not. We also talk about the importance of less obvious things like staying hydrated because you might not feel as thirsty, and eating enough protein so that you’re maintaining muscle.
We generally start seeing people around age 50. There’s not an age where you suddenly become “geriatric,” but in terms of successful aging, you can never start too early.
We want you to feel empowered to know what’s changing with your own body so that you can take control of your own health and make these adjustments. People are living longer but they’re also living better. We are the biggest advocate for each one of us as we get older.
— Geriatric medicine specialist Ardeshir Hashmi, MD
Learn more about our editorial process.
Chair exercises can help people age 65+ retain independence
Age-related physical changes and personal circumstances can impact healthy eating
Body changes put older adults at increased risk of dehydration
Some birth control can hide perimenopausal symptoms
Americans aged 65+ are at much higher risk for completing suicide than other demographics
Turns out your health really is in your hands
From odors to colors, it’s more than OK to ask your doctor these questions
Signs to look out for include pain and changes in frequency or urgency
Your metabolism may torch 1,300 to 2,000 calories daily with no activity
A gentle touch in all the right places may help drain your sinuses