Education and training in geriatric medicine

Education and training in geriatric medicine for family doctors and medical specialists, nurses, physio- and ergotherapists, social workers becomes more important. A curriculum in high quality geriatric medicine can help solve the problems coming up with the increasing life-expectancy and with the increasing proportion of elderly depending on care and social services. The developement of curricula and programs in high quality geriatric medicine demonstrates that the geriatrician has a special approach to the elderly patient different from traditional medicine. Describing and teaching this special approach to the elderly patient shows the special view of the geriatrician working with elderly patients. A number of barriers to program developement must be considered. To successfully implement geriatrics training, geriatric faculties need to have adequate protected time to plan, administer and teach the curriculum. It is very important to implement geriatrics training in universities and medical institutes.