Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Geriatrics Ambulatory Practice

The geriatricians at Montefiore's Geriatric Ambulatory Practice are all board-certified physicians (internists and family physicians) with additional sub-specialty boards in Geriatric Medicine. Our outstanding multidisciplinary team includes geriatricians, geriatric psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, nurses and social workers. Both primary care and consultations are provided. If additional consultations are required, Montefiore Medical Center offers an extensive range of subspecialty health services and distinguished Centers of Excellence in multiple fields.

Services Provided:

Physical examinations
Treatment of acute and chronic medical problems
Medication management
Vaccinations
Laboratory Testing
Skilled Home Care referrals
Hospital care with the Geriatrics Inpatient Service at Montefiore
24-hour coverage

Treating the Whole Person - Comprehensive Care of Older Adults

The geriatrics team assess and treat all the different types of conditions affecting older person's health and well-being. These include:

Common medical illnesses such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart conditions, arthritis, emphysema, and diabetes.
Geriatric syndromes such as falls, balance problems, osteoporosis, urinary incontinence, and sleep disturbances.
Memory loss, depression, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and related
issues that affect patients and their families.
Changes in functioning that can impact well-being and independence, such as ability to walk and manage their own care

The Geriatric Evaluation

Montefiore geriatricians begin with a complete patient evaluation, including physical health and ambulation, examination of memory, medication usage, and nutrition. The assessment and recommended plan is discussed with the patient and caregivers. A Montefiore geriatrician coordinates care, which may include:

Management of medical problems and age-related conditions.
Psychiatric and medical evaluation and treatment of Alzheimer's disease,
other dementias, and depression.
Social work consultations for supportive counseling, coordination
of community services, and entitlements.
Coordination of home care and rehabilitation services.
Evaluation for nursing home placement

Aging and Memory Evaluation and Care

Our multidisciplinary team (geriatricians, nurse practitioners, social work, and geropsychiatrists) specializes in the medical and psychosocial evaluation and ongoing care of older adults who have dementia. A caring, family-centered approach is used by this experienced team to assess memory loss, depression, Alzheimer's Disease, and related issues that may affect patients and their families. Evaluation and care for the long term is provided — not simply a diagnosis. Frequent issues facing families which are addressed include:

How do we get help?
How do we manage our loved one's behavior?
How should we handle decision-making — medical, financial and legal?
What should we do when a patient starts wandering at night?
Should we consider new drugs and clinical trials?

Information is provided to assist patients and their families about organizations and programs in their community. Several ongoing research initiatives and clinical trials take place in the program, including a current NIH-funded study of dementia predictors.

Falls Assessment Program

More than one third of community dwelling adults 65 years of age or older fall every year and in half of these cases the falls are recurrent. They carry a risk of hospitalization, functional decline and nursing home placement. Most falls are multifactorial and need close attention to various risk factors in an individual patient. With these facts in mind we have recently added a Falls Assessment Program in the Geriatrics Ambulatory Practice. It includes assessment of patients with history or risk factors for falls. The evaluation includes detailed history and physical examination with emphasis on medication review, screening for vision and hearing impairment and assessment of gait and balance. Following this, recommendations are made to reduce a patient's risk factors for falls and if appropriate referrals are facilitated to other disciplines. For patients seen as consultations, recommendations are communicated to the primary care provider.

Comprehensive Bone Center (Osteoporosis Evaluation)

One-third of women and one-fifth of men over age 50 will experience osteoporotic fractures. The effects of osteoporosis can be minimized through early diagnosis and a specialized program that includes medication, diet and exercise. The Geriatrics Ambulatory Practice Bone Center focuses on metabolic bone diseases in older adults providing: