Geriatric Medicine Course

Lesson 1 • Geriatric Care Models and Philosophy

Introduces patient-centered, interdisciplinary care models specific to geriatrics. Frames the ethical and humanistic values guiding older adult care.

Lesson 2 • Functional Status and Independence

Defines functional status as a core geriatric outcome measure. Introduces ADL and IADL frameworks used in subsequent assessment chapters.

Lesson 3 • Demographics and Epidemiology of Aging

Examines global aging trends and disease burden in older populations. Provides statistical context for clinical decision-making throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Geriatric Assessment

Defines the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) structure and its evidence base. Establishes why standard medical history alone is insufficient for older adults.

Lesson 2 • Social and Environmental Assessment

Evaluates social support networks, caregiver burden, and home environment safety. Integrates social determinants into the overall geriatric care plan.

Lesson 3 • Cognitive and Psychological Screening

Teaches validated tools for detecting cognitive impairment, depression, and anxiety. Links screening results to differential diagnosis and care planning.

Lesson 4 • Nutritional Assessment in Older Adults

Applies validated nutritional screening tools and identifies malnutrition risk factors. Nutritional status directly influences functional and clinical outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Pressure Injuries and Skin Integrity

Teaches staging, risk stratification, and prevention of pressure injuries in older adults. Integrates nutritional and mobility factors from earlier chapters.

Lesson 2 • Frailty Assessment and Intervention

Defines frailty phenotype and cumulative deficit models and their clinical implications. Guides targeted interventions to slow or reverse frailty progression.

Lesson 3 • Urinary Incontinence Management

Classifies incontinence types and applies stepwise assessment and treatment. Addresses a syndrome frequently underreported and undertreated in older adults.

Lesson 4 • Falls and Fall Prevention

Analyzes multifactorial causes of falls and evidence-based prevention strategies. Builds on mobility assessment skills from the CGA chapter.

Lesson 1 • Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis and Staging

Covers clinical features, diagnostic workup, and staging of Alzheimer's disease. Provides the framework for differentiating it from other dementias.

Lesson 2 • Pharmacological Management of Dementia

Reviews approved cognitive enhancers and behavioral symptom medications with risk-benefit analysis. Applies polypharmacy principles from the geriatric context.

Lesson 3 • Caregiver Support and Dementia Care Planning

Addresses caregiver burden, education, and advance care planning across dementia stages. Integrates psychosocial assessment skills from the CGA chapter.

Lesson 4 • Mild Cognitive Impairment

Defines MCI subtypes, diagnostic criteria, and conversion risk to dementia. Establishes the diagnostic continuum leading into full dementia syndromes.

Lesson 1 • Identifying and Assessing Polypharmacy

Defines polypharmacy thresholds and applies structured medication reconciliation methods. Builds skills for detecting drug-drug and drug-disease interactions.

Lesson 2 • Deprescribing Principles and Practice

Provides a structured framework for safely tapering and discontinuing unnecessary medications. Addresses patient and prescriber barriers to deprescribing.

Lesson 3 • Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Aging

Explains how aging alters drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Provides the physiological basis for all subsequent medication management decisions.

Lesson 4 • Pain Management in Older Adults

Covers assessment of pain in cognitively impaired patients and safe analgesic selection. Balances effective pain control against opioid and NSAID risks.

Lesson 1 • Multimorbidity and Treatment Prioritization

Applies frameworks for managing competing treatment priorities in patients with multiple chronic conditions. Prevents guideline-driven care from creating net patient harm.

Lesson 2 • Osteoporosis and Fracture Prevention

Covers bone density assessment, fracture risk calculation, and pharmacological treatment selection. Connects to fall prevention strategies from the geriatric syndromes chapter.

Lesson 3 • Diabetes Management in Older Adults

Applies individualized glycemic targets based on functional status and life expectancy. Addresses hypoglycemia risk as the primary safety concern.

Lesson 4 • Cardiovascular Disease in Older Adults

Addresses heart failure, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation management with age-adjusted targets. Highlights evidence gaps and individualized risk-benefit decisions.

Lesson 1 • Geriatric Oncology Assessment

Applies CGA tools to predict chemotherapy toxicity and treatment tolerance in older cancer patients. Identifies vulnerable patients requiring treatment modification.

Lesson 2 • Palliative Oncology and Goals of Care

Integrates palliative care principles into oncology management for older adults with advanced disease. Aligns treatment intensity with patient-defined goals.

Lesson 3 • Cancer Screening in Older Adults

Evaluates evidence for and against cancer screening based on life expectancy and functional status. Guides individualized screening cessation decisions.

Lesson 1 • Symptom Management at End of Life

Covers pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of dyspnea, pain, and agitation in dying patients. Applies safe opioid and sedation protocols.

Lesson 2 • Ethical Issues in End-of-Life Care

Analyzes ethical frameworks for withholding and withdrawing treatment and managing surrogate decision-making conflicts. Applies ethical reasoning to real clinical dilemmas.

Lesson 3 • Advance Care Planning

Guides clinicians through structured advance care planning conversations and documentation. Ensures patient values drive care decisions across all settings.

Lesson 4 • Palliative Care Principles in Geriatrics

Defines palliative care scope and distinguishes it from hospice care in the geriatric context. Establishes early integration as a standard of care.