Family, Internal Medicine, General Medical Questions/Expert Profile

Expertise

GERONTOLOGY (NURSING ISSUES RELATED TO THE ELDERLY) I have 25+ years experience working with the elderly. I would be pleased to offer any assistance I can. My areas of expertise include: Gerontology / Geriatrics, Long Term Care, Community Nursing, Palliative Care, Private Nursing Services, Intermediate / Extended Care. I also have a personal interest in Homeopathic and Eastern Medicine. If I can not answer your question I`ll do my best to direct you to an appropriate resource. Thank you.

Experience in the area

I have twenty years experience in Gerontological Nursing both in the community, and in Long Term Care. I have worked as a General Duty Nurse, a Nurse Manager, and a Nursing Consultant in Long Term Care and Community Nursing.I have a great deal of experience working with, assessing, and educating in the field of Gerontology (Nursing the Elderly). I am familiar with the challenges associated with Dementia (Alzheimer's), Chronic and Terminal illnesses, and the stresses of residential homes
Experience in the area
20 years of Long Term Care and Community Nursing, specialising in Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Care.

Education/Credentials

Registered Nurse , Certified Gerontological Nurse, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

What do you like about this subject?

I have always enjoyed working with our Elders, probably since the time I was lucky enough to have grandparents in my home as a child. I enjoy encouraging others to enter the feild as it's unfortunately been under-rated. We'll all going to get old one day and although Geriatrics has come a long way, there's lots of room for much more improvement.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

I hope that one day Long Term Care facilities will be true "Homes away from home". People should not have to fear their final years but should be able to retire knowing they'll (we'll) be cared for in a respectful manner catering to our individual needs.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

It's no secret that the population is aging and unfortunately too many people are trying to make a quick buck off the elder population. Older people are full of wisdom and laughter and can teach the younger generations a lot about life. Let's appreciate a precious asset in our society.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

Although I've worked in some wonderful "For Profit" facilities I've also seen how terrible some can be when the Shareholders matter more than the Residents. I'm not big on government regulation but I do feel decent standards need to be upheld when we're dealing with people's lives. But I do not have much faith in the current regulatory bodies and feel that the general public needs to be involved.