REDUCING DISABILITY THROUGH GERIATRIC PRIMARY CARE

Abstract

Reducing disability in older adults has become a goal of major importance. Defined as the difficulty or inability to carry out activities and roles necessary for independent living, disability increases burden of care, precipitates substantial use of community resources and challenges an older adult’s ability to age in place. Disability in older adults is challenging, common, and costly. Data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study indicates nearly half of older adults in the United States have difficulty or receive help with daily activities, with ethnic minorities and persons of low income most likely to experience disability and related adverse events. Geriatric primary care offers an opportune setting for early detection of disability risk and intervention for older adults. Primary care services can include health promotion, disease prevention, health maintenance, self-management, counseling, patient education, diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses through delivery in a variety of health care settings. The effort to shift management of late-life disability to primary care is fueled by federal legislation and a growing body of evidence that suggests a preventative approach to disability is a more cost-effective strategy that yields positive outcomes. This symposium highlights evidence-based strategies for early detection of disability risk and intervention to reduce disability and falls through a primary care approach.