Helping Older Adults Live Well As They Live Longer
The Division of Geriatric Medicine trains future leaders in Geriatric Medicine to meet the healthcare needs of America’s older adults. Our expertise in providing complex comprehensive care to older patients shapes the learning experience of UNC medical students, residents, and fellows. Through partnerships with different Divisions, Departments, and Schools at the nation’s oldest public university, we bring the latest research into healthcare practice, improving the care of older adults.
Our Faculty are outstanding clinician-educators who serve as Course Leaders, Program Directors, Clinical Directors, and Investigators for research grants.
Geriatric Medicine Fellows learn in a variety of clinical settings including our Geriatrics Specialty Clinic in Chapel Hill and our Inpatient Geriatrics service (ACE unit) at UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus
UNC’s Center for Aging and Health is a leading force in expanding geriatrics expertise in the state’s health workforce and provider network.
Adults over 85 are the fastest growing segment of the US population. In North Carolina, adults 65 and older will increase from 1.6 million to 2.6 million in the next two decades. Our goal is to leverage this new age of aging to improve care for older patients, who are rewriting medical history as they pioneer new horizons in health and longevity.
Geriatric Medicine & Center for Aging and Health News
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Addressing Overmedication in Nursing Home Patients with Severe Dementia
A recent study from Assistant Professor Joshua Niznik, PhD, PharmD, Division of Geriatric Medicine, in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society suggests de-prescribing Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors (AChEls) as a reasonable approach to lowering polypharmacy and risk of serious falls or fractures without increasing risk for all-cause negative events in nursing home residents with severe dementia. Co-authors … Continued
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Gilliam and Falls Prevention on WRAL
Meredith Gilliam, MD, MPH, was recently interviewed on WRAL on the topic of falls prevention for older adults. According to NC’s Division of Public Health, one quarter of North Carolinians 65 and over will fall in a year. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in older adults, causing 1,094 deaths, 18,771 … Continued
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Busby-Whitehead, Dale discuss dementia-friendly training in Modern Health Care
Dementia patients “often forget where they are and that they are not in their home,” says Maureen Dale, MD, in Modern Health Care. “When clinicians are coming in and out of their room to do their job, it can be alarming.” Busby-Whitehead also emphasizes that staff members feel more confident speaking with patients and reorienting them, after this training.