We rarely acknowledge the debt we owe our elders. Not only have they raised us, nursed us when we are sick and protected us from danger, they have imparted to us a lifetime of wisdom. The knowledge and guidance they offer throughout our lives is priceless.
And so, in their dotage we feel the need to reciprocate all their good deeds by protecting them from the ills and dangers that the elderly become vulnerable to in their advanced years, and vulnerable they are. Things that, as a young, fit, and strong individual, were taken in their stride, now become a threat to their wellbeing.
It was in 1909 that Austrian-born physician Ignatz Leo Nascher introduced the term ‘geriatrics’ to the medical profession in a paper he published proposing that the care of the elderly should be recognized as a separate medical specialty. He derived the term from the Greek words ‘geras,’ meaning ‘old age,’ and the word ‘iatrikos’ which means ‘relating to physicians.
As the body ages the body undergoes age-related changes, which are many-fold. Some of these vulnerability inducing changes may be due to prescribed medication being taken for other medical health issues. However, for otherwise medically healthy senior citizens their vulnerability is due purely to the aging process.
As we grow old many factors come into play. Impaired vision and hearing in the elderly is very common, as is impaired balance. As muscle mass decreases with age, so does the person’s physical strength, combined these factors with slower reaction times, elderly people are at a greater risk of falls and accidents that cause physical trauma.
For many senior citizens, age-related physical, and cognitive impairment can cause fundamental actions, like standing and walking, being fraught with the risk of experiencing trips and falls. These risks can be compounded by other age-related health issues, such as low blood pressure and arthritis.
With all of the age-related risks, comes a greater number of injuries than there would otherwise be in the young. And the frailty that comes with aging means specialist care is required. Recognizing that the elderly need individualized age-related care has led to the creation of the Geriatric Accident & Emergency Center in Bangkok. This is a dedicated facility designed purely with the accident and medical care of senior citizens as its single objective, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is also the first medical establishment outside of the USA to be accredited with the Geriatrics Emergency Department Award, or GEDA.
Specialized Medical Teams
The medical teams at the center have been meticulously assembled for their exemplary skills, and international accreditations, within the field of geriatrics. Multiskilled surgeons, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and physiotherapists, along with a dedicated back up team, has resulted in a world leading facility for the accident and emergency care of the elderly.
The counseling team, including nurse practitioners, at the center are all board certified. The surgical team includes surgeons specializing in orthopedics, cardiovascular surgery, gastrointestinal, urology, colorectal and plastic surgery. Nursing teams that are highly trained in critical, and advanced life support emergency care back up these professionals.
Uniquely, the center has a team of professionals specializing in accident prevention programs for the elderly. Great store is put into the ‘prevention is better than cure’ mantra. With this in mind, the team individually tailor advice and guidance based on each patient’s personal lifestyle and the community in which they reside, and level of vulnerability which these factors impose, thus reducing the accident probability factor.
Treatment and Technology
In all areas of modern medicine, technology plays a vital role. From diagnostics to major trauma and after care, technology continues to aid the medical skills and knowledge of today’s physicians. There is no facility that understands this better than the Geriatric Accident & Emergency Center in Bangkok and is equipped with state-of-the-art technological equipment to assist in the care of elderly patients.
Technology is essential in the diagnosing of many health and injurious conditions in elderly people. The center uses the most up-to-date technology in areas such X-ray, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, devices. These facilitate the medical teams in maximizing the efficiency of their treatment programs.
In critically ill elderly patients, it is very often the case that the body’s vital organs fail to function adequately. In these circumstances the center is equipped with the hi-tech extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machines, known as ECMOs. These machines replicate the action of the heart, allowing blood to continue pumping around the body, and also supplies oxygen to the lungs.
The center employs positive pressure rooms as part of their preventative medical program. These rooms maintain higher air pressure than the surrounding environment. This acts as a preventative measure against airborne diseases and infections, vital in the care of vulnerable elderly patients.
The positive pressure air chambers allow 12 air changes per hour. HEPA, or high efficiency particulate air, filters supply a continuous flow of clean air. These rooms are essential for patients that require isolation. And, unlike many medical facilities, at the center these rooms include the operating suites and intensive care rooms, along with the pharmaceutical compounding areas to ensure the integrity, safety, and effectiveness of vital, administered drugs.
Post treatment, medical rehabilitation is very often required for elderly patients. Inside the facility is the Physical Therapy Center. Staffed by highly trained physiotherapists, this center boasts modern hydrotherapy pools. The warmth and buoyancy of the water in the hydrotherapy pools helps to strengthen muscles, improve balance and mobility whilst also aiding in the relief of joint pain.
Patient Transport
Often it is the case that an elderly patient requires transporting, sometimes over long distances. The Geriatric Accident & Emergency Center in Bangkok commands a network of 13 hospitals, providing a 24-hour EMS (Emergency Medical Service) which includes ambulances, motorcycles, fixed wing and rotary wing air transport. All of which are done with highly qualified medical escorts.
There can be no doubt that we owe the elderly loved ones in our family a great debt of gratitude. It is therefore natural that we want to give them the best possible care in their dotage, and it is never done better than at the Geriatric Accident & Emergency Center in Bangkok. This facility is not just for the Indigenous population, but also open to the ever-increasing number of expats that reside in the kingdom.
