Find the Right Geriatrician
Before the Next Appointment.

Does your parent see three or more specialists?

When care is distributed across multiple specialists — a cardiologist, an endocrinologist, a pulmonologist — no single physician holds the full picture. Geriatricians are trained to synthesize fragmented care plans and identify conflicts that specialists, working in isolation, may not see.

Is your parent taking five or more medications daily?

Polypharmacy — five or more daily medications — is the single most correctable source of preventable hospitalization in adults over 70. A geriatrician conducts a structured medication reconciliation that a primary care visit rarely has time to complete.

Has your parent had a fall or near-fall in the past year?

Falls are not accidents. They are clinical events — often the first visible symptom of an underlying process: orthostatic hypotension, vestibular dysfunction, medication side effects, or early motor decline. Geriatricians conduct structured fall risk assessments that identify the treatable cause.

Have you noticed memory lapses, confusion, or behavioral changes?

Cognitive change is rarely a single diagnosis. Delirium, depression, medication toxicity, and early dementia can present identically to a family member. Geriatricians use standardized cognitive assessments — the MoCA, the CDR — to distinguish treatable conditions from progressive ones.

Was your parent recently discharged from a hospital or rehab facility?

The 30 days following hospital discharge are the highest-risk period in an older adult's care timeline. Medication changes, functional decline, and care transitions create a window where geriatric oversight prevents readmission. Discharge planners who need a geriatric referral before Tuesday — this is the section.