Geriatric medicine
Care for older adults, and the people who help them.
Getting older brings more prescriptions, more specialists, and more questions from family. A concierge practice suits this stage of life well: longer visits, one doctor coordinating everything, and someone who picks up the phone.
At a glance
Memory concerns
Cognitive screening, a careful look for reversible causes, and a plan.
Medication review
Fewer pills where possible, and none that work against each other.
Staying independent
Falls, balance, hearing, vision and home safety, addressed early.
Family in the loop
With your permission, Dr. Shtern talks with the family members who help you.
Memory and thinking
Forgetfulness worries people, and it deserves a proper evaluation rather than reassurance or alarm. Dr. Shtern starts with a cognitive screen and a careful history, often with a family member present, and checks for causes that can be treated: thyroid problems, low vitamin B12, medication side effects, poor sleep, depression, hearing loss, or an infection.
When a memory disorder is likely, she arranges the right specialist and imaging, and stays your doctor throughout. Care for memory concerns changes over time, and continuity matters.
Fewer, better prescriptions
Older adults are more sensitive to many medicines, and kidney function, which Dr. Shtern watches closely as a nephrologist, changes how many drugs should be dosed. A full review often finds a medication that can be stopped, a dose that can be lowered, or two prescriptions from two specialists that should not be taken together.
Help for families
Often the person arranging care is an adult child, sometimes living in another state. With the patient’s written permission, Dr. Shtern can update family members, coordinate with home health and other doctors, and help everyone plan ahead. Dr. Shtern is affiliated with Jupiter Medical Center and Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center.
FAQ
Questions from families
My parent is forgetting things. Where do we start?
Start with a visit where there is time to take a full history and do a cognitive screen, ideally with you present. Several common causes of memory trouble are treatable, so it is worth checking properly.
Can you talk to me about my parent’s care?
Yes, with your parent’s written authorization. Once that is on file, Dr. Shtern can discuss their care with you directly.
Is a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit the same as a physical?
No. The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit is mostly a planning conversation and screening questionnaire. A physical includes an examination. Members get the annual executive physical; ask the office how Medicare billing applies to your visits.
Related care
Preventive care and physicals
Executive annual physicals, screenings, and no day at a hospital.
Read moreKidney care and Nephrology
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Read moreNext step
Bring your parent, or your questions, to a meet and greet.
Every membership starts with a complimentary meet and greet. Sit down with Dr. Shtern, see the office, and ask whatever you like.