Dr Frankenfeld offers the following
SERVICES
Multimorbidity and Polypharmacy
Multimorbidity is a term used to describe multiple persistent health conditions that occur concurrently. Polypharmacy refers to a situation whereby several medications are taken, which is more common today as an increased number of older persons are living with two or more long-term conditions.
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment
A comprehensive geriatric assessment is a diagnostic approach that helps identify multiple impairments, such as functional, psychosocial, and medical limitations to which older people are more susceptible. This helps to identify areas where an intervention may improve health and quality of life for the patient.
Frequent Falls
A number of factors play a role in sudden falls affecting the frail or older person. In someone with frequent falls (2 or more falls in a year) an assessment should be done to determine the underlying cause which could be related to a neurological deficit, heart condition, musculoskeletal abnormality or a number of other factors.
Frailty
Frailty refers to a decrease in physiological and physical reserve. Older people are at increased risk of developing frailty. Signs of frailty may include sudden unexplained weight loss, fatigue, muscle weakness and decreased levels of activity. Early recognition of frailty and proper care can improve outcomes for patients.
Dementia
Dementia is a term used to refer to several cognitive disorders affecting memory, thinking and the ability to make informed decisions. There are many different kinds of dementia. An assessment should be done for people with memory impairment or other new cognitive impairment to find treatable causes and/or to make a diagnosis of a potential neurodegenerative cause.
Palliative Care of Older Patients
Palliative care can be defined as an approach that improves the quality of life and provides relief from pain and suffering for patients and their families facing incurable or life-limiting disease. This holistic, patient-centered approach focuses not only on biomedical care, but also on psychosocial and emotional support.
The purpose of a doctor, or any human in general, should not be to simply delay the death of a patient, but to increase the person's quality of life.
PATCH ADAMS