Most people know when to see a cardiologist or an orthopedist. But many families are unsure about when a geriatrician should become part of the care team. A geriatrician is a physician who specializes in the health needs of older adults — typically those 65 and older — with expertise in managing multiple chronic conditions, cognitive decline, medication complexity, and functional challenges that come with aging.

Here are ten signs that it may be time to consult a geriatrician for yourself or a loved one.

1. Taking Five or More Medications

Polypharmacy — taking multiple medications simultaneously — is one of the leading causes of preventable hospitalizations in older adults. Drug interactions, duplicate therapies, and medications that are inappropriate for aging bodies can cause falls, confusion, kidney problems, and dangerous blood pressure drops. Geriatricians are specifically trained to review complex medication regimens, eliminate unnecessary drugs, and simplify treatment plans to reduce risk.

2. Repeated Falls or Balance Problems

Falls are the number one cause of injury-related death in adults over 65. If your loved one has fallen more than once in the past year, or if they are becoming increasingly unsteady, a geriatrician can conduct a comprehensive fall risk assessment. This includes evaluating medications that cause dizziness, checking vision and hearing, testing muscle strength, assessing home safety hazards, and creating a targeted prevention plan.

3. Memory Loss or Cognitive Changes

Forgetting where you put your keys is normal. Forgetting what keys are for is not. If you notice increasing forgetfulness, difficulty with familiar tasks, confusion about time or place, trouble with words, poor judgment, or personality changes, these may be early signs of dementia. A geriatrician can perform cognitive screening, identify treatable causes of memory loss (such as thyroid problems, vitamin deficiencies, or medication side effects), and connect families with programs like the CMS GUIDE Model for comprehensive dementia support.

4. Managing Three or More Chronic Conditions

When a patient has diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and arthritis — all at the same time — the treatment for one condition can worsen another. A geriatrician specializes in the art of balancing multiple conditions, prioritizing which problems to treat aggressively and which to manage conservatively based on the patient’s overall goals and life expectancy.

5. Unexplained Weight Loss

Losing weight without trying — particularly more than 5% of body weight in 6 to 12 months — is a red flag in older adults. It can signal depression, dementia affecting eating habits, medication side effects, difficulty swallowing, dental problems, or underlying cancer. A geriatrician evaluates the full picture rather than focusing on a single organ system.

6. Frequent Emergency Room Visits or Hospitalizations

If a senior is cycling in and out of the hospital, it often means their outpatient care needs restructuring. Geriatricians focus on proactive management — anticipating problems before they become emergencies, coordinating transitions between hospital and home, and ensuring follow-up appointments happen promptly. The goal is to keep patients out of the hospital and thriving at home.

7. Increasing Difficulty with Daily Activities

Struggling with bathing, dressing, cooking, managing finances, or driving are signs of functional decline that a geriatrician is trained to assess. The comprehensive geriatric assessment evaluates Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) to determine what support is needed and connect families with appropriate services — from home health aides to adult day programs to assistive devices.

8. Caregiver Burnout

If the family caregiver is exhausted, overwhelmed, or showing signs of depression themselves, a geriatrician can help restructure the care plan to reduce the burden. Programs like the CMS GUIDE Model provide up to $2,500 per year in respite care services, dedicated care navigation, and 24/7 support specifically to prevent caregiver burnout. Getting professional geriatric support is often as much for the caregiver as for the patient.

9. Depression, Anxiety, or Social Isolation

Mental health conditions in seniors are often underdiagnosed because symptoms present differently than in younger adults. An older person may not say they feel sad — instead, they might lose interest in activities, stop eating, complain of vague physical symptoms, or withdraw socially. Geriatricians screen for depression and anxiety as part of routine care and can coordinate treatment that accounts for the patient’s other medical conditions and medications.

10. The Family Needs Help Navigating the Healthcare System

Perhaps the most common reason families seek a geriatrician is simply feeling lost. When a parent has five specialists, twelve medications, and no one seems to be coordinating the overall plan, a geriatrician steps in as the quarterback. We communicate with all providers, simplify the care plan, advocate for the patient’s goals, and help families make informed decisions about advance care planning, long-term care options, and end-of-life preferences.

What to Expect at Your First Geriatrician Visit

A first visit with a geriatrician is longer and more thorough than a typical doctor’s appointment. At Florida Elder Care, our initial comprehensive geriatric assessment covers 17 areas of health that are often overlooked in standard office visits — including cognitive function, fall risk, nutrition, medication review, functional status, hearing, vision, mood, and social support. Based on this assessment, we create a personalized care plan that addresses your specific needs and goals.

We also offer house calls for patients who have difficulty traveling to our office, and we provide care across Loxahatchee, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, and surrounding Palm Beach County communities.