BGS blog followers may be interested in this article Why I Chose Geriatric Nursing as My Specialty from the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing blog.
I never considered specializing in geriatric nursing before my academic career at New York University mainly because I have had limited interactions with the elderly. My maternal grandparents died while trying to escape the Vietnam War and my paternal grandparents lived out in the Midwest so I rarely saw them. It wasn’t until last summer that I was able to connect to geriatrics on a more personal level.
At the tail end of summer 2013, I volunteered with the medical relief organization, Floating Doctors, which provides healthcare and medical treatment to isolated coastal communities in Panama. They also worked locally with a live-in geriatric facility, the asilo, by providing regular visits to conduct check-ups and physical assessments, administer medications as well as offer companionship to the residents. For the most part, the residents were in good health and mentally present. However, open sores, scabies, dementia, and debilitation were common afflictions.
The full article can be read on the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing blog.
British Geriatrics Society 