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Geriatric Care Specialist
Provides care and support for elderly people — from health management to social engagement.
Did you know?
In Japan, people aged 65 and over have outnumbered children under 15 since 1997, and they now make up over a quarter of the population.
How subjects help
- Biology: Understand how ageing changes the bones, memory and heart of an older person.
- Psychology: Notice loneliness or early signs of memory loss in an older person.
- Sociology: Connect older people with clubs and friends so they don't feel isolated.
- Health Sciences: Plan daily care that prevents falls and keeps medicines on track.
A famous name
Marjory Warren: British doctor known as the mother of geriatric medicine, transforming care for older people in the 1930s.
Try it yourself: Test your balance like a physio
- Stand facing a wall with your fingertips resting on it. Lift one foot and hold for 5 to 10 seconds, keeping your hips level. Do it three times on each leg.
- Walk heel-to-toe along the wall for at least five steps, putting each heel right in front of the other toes and looking ahead.
- Try the one-leg stand again with your fingertips barely touching the wall, and time how long you last on each leg.
- Write down which leg is steadier and which move felt hardest.
Physiotherapists and occupational therapists use simple balance tests like these to measure how someone is recovering and to plan their exercises.
Adapted from NHS: Balance exercises.
Also try: Practise listening the SHUSH way.
Known for it in
Japan, Germany, Sweden, Australia, Canada