An aging geriatrician wonders: Who will care for me? By Jerry H. GurwitzJuly 24, 2024

https://www.statnews.com/2024/07/24/geriatrician-shortage-aging-baby-boomers/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9KtcQYabO3gkTw11zUdY7Wv6Um5Gpt9K4be8giEhVoadHWHsZmMDiTKIBKepowkY9Eb4LHesbs6SjTLfzjPUiogvU5Kg&_hsmi=317055438&utm_content=317055438&utm_source=hs_email When Jerry H. Gurwitz became one of the first American doctors certified in geriatric medicine over 35 years ago, he thought the new specialty was destined to become a vibrant field of medicine. He was also sure that when he got older, the health care system would be ready to take care of him. He’s in his late 60s now, and let’s just say things haven’t turned out the way he expected. Despite a growing aging population, the number of medical trainees going into geriatric medicine is shrinking. The U.S. health care system is woefully unprepared to handle the oncoming surge of dementia, impairment, and frailty, Gurwitz argues in a First Opinion essay. He also asks a question that haunts anyone who has taken care of an elderly loved one: Who will take care of me? It may already be too late to help the system adequately care for aging baby boomers. “I am extremely worried about who will be there to care for me,” he writes. “And if I am worried, you should be too.” Read more.