A CLINICAL, PHYSIOLOGIC AND PSYCHOLOGIC STUDY OF 20 GERIATRIC CLINIC PATIENTS

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Abstract
Twenty geriatric clinic patients were selected at random for a comprehensive evaluation. Findings that developed from correlations between the separate parts of the study were considered to be the most valuable aspect of the work, and may be summarized as follows: Certain physical, intellectual and physiologic deficits tended to coexist in the same elderly individuals. In the 4 independent evaluations of mental function by the psychiatrist, neurologist, social worker and psychologist there was a statistically significant similarity in the ratings given the individual subjects. Individual differences in effectiveness did not correlate with chronologic age, intelligence level, and physical or physiologic impairment. The important determinants were a lifelong pattern of successful adaptation to change, dependable early parental attitudes and the capacity to establish successful personal relationships in later life, educational achievement and maturity of emotional response, ability to keep physically active or to enjoy a range of creative interests, and preservation of memory and judgment. This suggests that one method of rating elderly individuals and defining their mental aptitudes might be based on a concept of overall psychologic and social effectiveness. A comprehensive evaluation of the ambulatory elderly patient will differentiate age-related, constitutionally determined physical and physiologic changes, and lifelong psychologic and social patterns.

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