Over the years, Dr. Calvin Hirsch has watched the world of geriatric medicine change for the better. As a constant proponent of this field and an innovator in his own right, Dr. Hirsch has helped contribute heavily to this field in many ways. Recently, he discussed how the world of geriatric medicine has improved and how this may help older adults have happier lives.
What Dr. Calvin Hirsch Has Seen in Recent Years
Recent years have seen an explosion in geriatric medicine that Dr. Calvin Hirsch has found very encouraging. The past has been very mixed towards older adults and hasn’t always given them the attention they deserve for their physical and emotional concerns. Thankfully, Dr. Hirsch believes that more people are beginning to understand why taking care of the elderly is important. This field is one that has a great impact as millions of baby boomers and gen Xers age toward retirement or pass away in the next few decades.
For example, a growing focus on geriatric well-being is improving treatments and making life better for millions of seniors. Doctors are better understanding how total-body therapy helps not only with physical ailments but mental health as well. Older people with excessive pain or other symptoms may need a tweaked approach suited specifically to their unique demands as people.
Furthermore, increasing diagnostic quality is critical for this process. Better diagnostic tools, such as more accurate CT scans, have helped transform this process. Doctors also better understand what kind of treatment and diagnosis schedule is best for seniors. For instance, tri-yearly checkups may help many seniors spot easy-to-miss conditions, such as increasing depression, in their later years.
Just as importantly, Dr. Calvin Hirsch is finding the many breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s treatment and diagnosis very encouraging. This devastating condition impacts many millions of people every year. While it can start at any age, it develops most often in elderly people and can severely impact their well-being. New studies have examined how various innovative treatments have improved this process.
For example, disease-modifying therapies include radiotracers that can track how it affects the mind and various medications that can help with neuropsychiatric dementia symptoms. These medicines help decrease the severity of these problems and slow a person’s disease development. Better and more effective medicines are being developed for this condition.
These unique medications include surprising options like ketamine, psychedelics, and cannabinoids. Further study into these unique treatments has found some success in helping calm anxiety and depression associated with dementia. They may also help older adults struggling with personal perception and help their doctors better understand how their minds work.
While many of these developments are in their early stages, Dr. Calvin Hirsch believes they could have a real future in geriatric treatment. Tracking these changes is important, he believes, because even a promising but failed option could open up doors to new therapies. The world of geriatric medicine is all about taking advantage of the complex reality surrounding aging by using whatever means are necessary.