Cooperation with other disciplines

When dealing with complex health care demands, the elderly care physician is the director and team player of elderly care medicine. The elderly care physician coordinates the various treatment and care methods, cooperating with the GP, clinical geriatrician, the psychologist, nurses and attendants, nursing aides, physiotherapist, dietician, home care, social work, and other physicians involved.

In close consultation with patient, family and carers, the elderly care physician also coordinates medical and non-medical care.

General practitioners can consult elderly care physicians. In The Netherlands, the GP is a gatekeeper. Patients take their complaints to their GP´s first, before seeing other medical care providers. The elderly care physician comes in on cases with complex care demands.

More and more hospitals include elderly care physicians in examination, diagnostics, and discharge preparation. More and more frequently, the elderly care physician has a role in postponing or preventing admittance to nursing or residential homes. Prevention is an important tool to avoid expensive interventions needed to bring about recovery.