Australian guide to elder care

The elderly consume an increasing amount of the health care dollar, hospitals are under pressure to discharge patients early and, increasingly, care is provided in the community. For these reasons Practical guide to geriatric medicine is a useful addition to the reference library of any general practitioner, general physician or geriatrician.

The book comprehensively covers a wide range of topics relevant to the clinical care of the elderly. It has a lot of practical tips on the management of common problems such as psychiatric illness, neurological disorders and dementia, and includes lots of relevant validated screening tools. Whole-body systems are well covered, with an emphasis on screening and prevention.

The chapter authors are experts from various international backgrounds and almost half are Australian. This balance is a bonus, as it ensures that the information is relevant to clinical practice in Australia. For example, there is a chapter on the functional assessment of the over-75-year-old as part of the enhanced primary care package.

For the academically minded reader it would have been helpful to cross-reference the text with the bibliography and further reading references that appear at the end of each chapter.

This book is well written and easy to read, with a wealth of useful information. The presentation is excellent, with paragraph headings and useful tables, as well as figures highlighting the important points. It is excellent value for money and highly recommended for the busy clinician.

George SzonyiGeriatricianBalmain Hospital, NSW

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