The Geriatric Workforce and Quality of Care

What could be less intuitive than a shrinking medical specialty in the face of surging demand? A recent New York Times article discussed the growing shortage of geriatricians in America. Despite the fact that there are more older Americans than any time in history,...

Wound Odor: Ancient Greece and The Story of Philoctetes

This post gives a preview of what I will be covering in my upcoming webinar entitled History of Pressure Ulcers & Wound Care: Past, Present, & Future, sponsored by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel.  The fascinating history of wound care dates...

Insights into Geriatrics from Cartoonist Roz Chast

I’ve never posted a book review but will make an exception for this amazing new graphic memoir.  Roz Chast, a beloved and well known cartoonist for the New Yorker, has written a brilliant book that should be required reading for the geriatric curriculum. It is...

Pressure Ulcer as “Never Event”: Fact or Myth?

The term “never event” is commonly applied to pressure ulcers, giving the impression that they are always associated with medical error. As such, it lends this outcome an emotional charge that can lead to misplaced patient dissatisfaction and unnecessary accusations...

The Story Behind the AGS Annual Meeting Program Cover

I was thrilled when the American Geriatrics Society contacted me seeking images for the program cover of next year’s annual meeting. I spent hours flipping through my portfolio and found several suitable shots. Gradually I realized that to represent aging in America I...