Abstract :
With the improved health care facilities and nutritional levels, the average life expectancy of Indian population has been on a steady rise over the years. Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a specialty that focuses on health care of elderly people. It aims to promote the health by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities in older adults. There is no set age at which patients may be under the care of a geriatrician, or geriatric physician, a physician who specializes in the care of elderly people. Rather, this decision is determined by the individual patient’s needs, and the availability of a specialist. It is important to note the difference between geriatrics, the care of aged people, and gerontology, which is the study of the ageing process itself. The term geriatrics comes from the Greek ????? geron meaning "old man", and ????o? iatros meaning "healer". However, geriatrics is sometimes called medical gerontology. It is also defined as the branch of medical science dealing with old age & its disease. The increased life expectancy demands an improved quality of life for the elderly thereby making geriatric medicine and dentistry an important aspect of the healthcare system.
This paper covers the overall demographics of the elderly population along with the various physical, dental and psychological changes that occur in them.
Keyword :
Geriatrics, Ageing, Quality of life.