Anne Marie Smith was very concerned about her mother. Her body and mind were failing her. In a span of four months, her mother went from being independent, capable of moving around her home freely, to a person who struggled to leave her chair in the living room to get into the kitchen. She was also experiencing tremors. Meticulous and uncompromising in selecting only the best fruits at the grocer, Anne Marie's mother now finds it difficult to remember the different fruits she used to pick up weekly.

Fearing that her mother was becoming a person that she no longer recognized, she took her to a geriatrics center to see a doctor and other health care professionals who focus on the care of older adults. Anne Marie explained her concerns. After a careful physical examination and review of the Mrs. Smith's various medications, it was discovered that one of them might be at the root of the problem. Her doctor determined that the medication prescribed to Mrs. Smith to improve her swallowing was causing the tremors and limiting her mobility.

Mrs. Smith was taken off this medication. In a period of two months, the tremors were gone and her thinking was better. She could now move with greater ease around her home and is able to ask the grocer where the good bananas can be found. Anne Marie slept better, knowing that her mother was getting back to her old self-thanks to the care of a geriatrics team.

The Foundation for Health in Aging works to promote the care of older adults- not only by empowering older adults and their caregivers with trustworthy health information- but also by helping to train the next generation of geriatrics health care professionals. To learn more about how we are raising support for our Student Research Fund, please click here. FHA's work, in partnership with it parent organization, The American Geriatrics Society, helps to promote geriatrics as a medical specialty and to bring the latest information on the care of older adults to consumers and professional primary care providers alike.

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