The Geriatrician

Abstract: This chapter illustrates how the role of a geriatrician should be included in the assignment process of assistive technology to older people as a consultant in a Centre for Technical Aid. After an introduction to the geriatrician and the effectiveness of geriatric assessment in clinical practice, the concepts of disease, disability and frailty are discussed. Emphasis is also placed on the role of assistive technology in compensating for disability and in enhancing the performance of daily activities of the older patient. The importance of bringing together a comprehensive geriatric assessment and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is highlighted in order to guide clinical reasoning about geriatric rehabilitation and to provide optimal client-centred care when an older user is admitted to a Centre for Technical Aid. In this respect, a clinical case study from the perspective of a geriatrician in a Centre for Technical Aid is analysed.