Services Offered
Dedicated Staff
Our elder care is provided by geriatricians--doctors who specialize in geriatric medicine. We have 10 full-time geriatricians on staff, giving the University of Chicago Hospitals one of the largest groups of geriatricians in the United States. These physicians are fellowship-trained or board certified in geriatric medicine. That means they received several years of training specifically in geriatric medicine, in addition to their internal medicine training.
We also have a team that is dedicated to work with older adults. Our nurses, social workers, physical therapists, nutritionists, and other members of the care team are specially trained to work with older adults.
Specialized Care
The primary care and specialty medical services are focused specifically on the needs of aging adults. Because our program is devoted exclusively to serving older adults, our staff and services are uniquely sensitive to the needs and abilities of seniors. We are able to distinguish between normal changes caused by aging and changes caused by disease.
- The geriatrics care team collaborates with University of Chicago physicians and other specialists in rheumatology, ophthalmology, neurology, oncology, geriatric psychiatry, dermatology, audiology, urology, and other disciplines to meet patients’ complex needs.
- Care is coordinated through a primary geriatrician. Although patients may see several specialists, their care is cohesive rather than fragmented. All of the physicians and other care providers communicate well with each other and with the patient’s family.
We offer wellness and prevention screenings designed to help older adults stay healthy and active for as long as possible. Our geriatricians provide thorough medical evaluations and offer recommendations on how changes in lifestyle and medications may improve an individual’s health. Age-appropriate screenings for cancer and other health conditions also are available.
At the Forefront of Geriatric Care
Our physicians offer the following:
- Special expertise in diagnosing and treating memory disorders and dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease.
- Unique insights in geriatric oncology, and how older adults respond differently to various types of cancer and cancer treatments. Our geriatricians collaborate with the University of Chicago Hospitals’ cancer program, which is consistently ranked among the best cancer programs in the nation, according to U.S.News & World Report. Our geriatric oncology program includes a unique Geriatric Cancer Survivors Clinic for people who were treated previously for cancer and now require care tailored to their special medical needs and concerns as they age.
- The latest treatments for arthritis and related diseases, with a special recognition of how these common conditions affect older adults.
Follow-Up Care
The University of Chicago Hospitals has the following programs designed to help the geriatric community:
- Physical and occupational therapy through the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s facility, adjacent to the University of Chicago Hospitals’ Windermere Senior Health Center.
- Frail Elders Clinic, which provides comprehensive geriatric assessment of older adults who can benefit from the combined input of geriatricians, nurses, and social workers. This program is for seniors who have chronic illness, multiple health problems, disability, or diminished mental capacity that threatens their independence.
- Fall Prevention Clinic. Falls and bone fractures can be a major cause of disability in older adults. This unique multidisciplinary program uses assessments and recommendations from geriatricians, nurses, and physical therapists to reduce the risk of falling among older adults with a history of falls or for those considered at high risk for debilitating falls.
- Support programs for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and for their family and other care providers.
- Palliative Care Clinic, which provides treatment for pain and other symptoms that affect quality of life.
- Free educational programs on health-related topics of interest to older adults.
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