What is a Geriatrician and Do I Need to See One?

What is a Geriatrician and Do I Need to See One?

Most people only meet a geriatrician when they end up in emergency. By then you're often behind the eight ball. Geriatricians are medical specialists trained to look at the whole person, not a single disease or organ.  They zoom out and ask how your conditions, medications, day-to-day life, and the people around you, all fit together. This bigger picture is usually where the answers are. You'll learn: * What a geriatrician actually does, and how it's different from your GP * Why age isn't the deciding factor ("it's not the years, it's the mileage") * What happens in a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment * Why the patient is always the boss, even when family disagrees Guest: Dr Chris Moran, Geriatrician at Bayside Health and Associate Professor, Monash University School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. Hosts: Tracy Parish & Dr Taya Collyer Links & References * NCHA Living Labs Research Program [https://www.monash.edu/medicine/national-centre-for-healthy-ageing/living-labs] * NCHA Community and Resources Hub [https://www.monash.edu/medicine/national-centre-for-healthy-ageing/community-and-resources-hub] * NCHA Healthy Ageing Resources [https://www.monash.edu/medicine/national-centre-for-healthy-ageing/community-and-resources-hub#resources] Disclaimer: Tracy and Taya are not medical doctors. This episode is based on research, but it's not medical advice. Please talk to your GP for advice tailored to you. Produced by Miniature [https://www.miniaturecreative.com.au/]

Am I Drinking Too Much?

A third of Australians aged in their 50s and 60s are drinking at risky levels. Most don't realise they are. How do you recognise if your drinking is becoming a problem, and what can you do about it? You'll learn:  * Why alcohol affects your body differently as you age * How even small amounts increase your cancer and dementia risk * What a standard drink actually looks like when you pour one at home (hint: it's smaller than you think) * How retirement, menopause and other life changes can increase alcohol use Guest: Dr Tina Lam, Senior Research Fellow, Monash Addiction Research Centre and the National Centre for Healthy Ageing Hosts: Tracy Parish & Dr Taya Collyer Links & References * Beyond 50 Study [https://www.monash.edu/medicine/national-centre-for-healthy-ageing/living-labs/beyond-50-supporting-vulnerable-populations-to-maintain-healthy-lifestyles] – Monash Addiction Research Centre / NCHA Living Lab project * Alcohol culture change for positive ageing [https://www.monash.edu/medicine/national-centre-for-healthy-ageing/living-labs/alcohol-culture-change-for-positive-ageing]– Monash Addiction Research Centre / NCHA Living Lab project * Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) – Alcohol data [https://www.aihw.gov.au/search?searchtext=alcohol] * Australian Alcohol Guidelines (NHMRC) [https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health-advice/alcohol] * NCHA Community and Resources Hub [https://www.monash.edu/medicine/national-centre-for-healthy-ageing/community-and-resources-hub] * NCHA Healthy Ageing Resources [https://www.monash.edu/medicine/national-centre-for-healthy-ageing/community-and-resources-hub#resources] * NCHA Living Labs Research Program [https://www.monash.edu/medicine/national-centre-for-healthy-ageing/living-labs] Disclaimer: Tina, Tracy and Taya are not medical doctors. This episode is based on research, but it's not medical advice. Please talk to your GP for advice tailored to you. Produced by Miniature [https://www.miniaturecreative.com.au/]

Welcome to Help! I'm Ageing.

How do we age well? There's no shortage of advice out there. The hardest part is figuring out which advice to trust. That's what this podcast is for. Each episode, you'll meet people who've lived through the questions you're now asking yourself. You'll have all your burning questions answered by researchers from the National Centre for Healthy Ageing [https://ncha.org.au/], who have devoted their careers to helping us live well and age well. In this series you'll learn all about: * Alcohol - how much is too much? * Dementia, and what the evidence actually says about prevention * Staying in your own home for as long as possible * When to see a geriatrician (and what a geriatrician actually does) * How to think about residential aged care * How unstable housing can impact our health * The everyday changes that make the biggest difference to how you age Your hosts are Dr Taya Collyer (lead biostatistician, National Centre for Healthy Ageing) and Tracy Parish (broadcaster and medical research journalist). New episodes coming soon. Learn more about the National Centre for Healthy Ageing: www.ncha.org.au [https://www.ncha.org.au] Produced by Miniature [https://www.miniaturecreative.com.au/]