Introduction

Human aging and its impact on individuals and society will transcend all specialties of medicine and become the unprecedented focus of the 21st century. The U.S. population age 65 years and older is anticipated to grow from 12% in 2000 to 20% in 2030. This represents an increase from 35 million to 72 million older adults. Moreover, the fastest growing cohort among older adults is the 85-and-older group, increasing at three to four times that of the general U.S. population. Clinical and ethical issues related to the care of older adults, particularly in trauma

Introduction

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the second most common form of dementia in those who are younger than age 65 years, after early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.1 It is not a commonly recognized syndrome in clinical practice, and the lack of specific diagnostic criteria and wide variations in clinical presentation make determination of the syndrome difficult. We present a case of a 69-year-old female who had no prior psychiatric history but presented with gradual changes in personality and behavior, and gradual decline in functioning, of several years duration.

As a family physician and geriatrician, I, like many in the field, have resisted giving up the very ambitious position of being both a generalist and specialist. But a series of articles examining how to make the most effective use of the nation’s scarce supply of geriatricians in the October 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has convinced me that it’s time to refine the scope of geriatrics.

In a commentary that he contributes to the JAGS series, William Hazzard notes that, from the beginning, we geriatricians have staked out a potentially “schizo

As we start the New Year, it is important that we all consider planning ahead. This is particularly true if you are an older person facing what is not only the coldest but also often the loneliest and most difficult time of the year. Winter can be a wonderful time of beautiful fields covered with snow, sleigh bells in the air, snow squishing under our feet, and indoor gatherings of family and friends. It can also be a time when some find themselves isolated, unable to go outside due to the risk of falling on snow or ice, cold beyond endurance, and heating bills that can numb the senses and

Case Presentation

Mr. G is a 61-year-old African-American male who lives with his 81-year-old widowed mother. Mr. G has had cerebral palsy since birth, and also has mild mental retardation and a seizure disorder. Mrs. G has been active in helping her son become as functional as possible and insisted that he be placed in an educational program at an early age. Mr. G was tested and considered to be “educable” under the standards used when he was school-aged. With his mother’s persistence, he completed a vocational training program and works for the local government in