My mom is elderly & has a host of different health problems. What is the best type of doctor for her to visit?

We need a doctor who can look at all of her problems and current medications. She is hospitalized and they've had a kidney specialist, urologist, heart specialist, neurologist and house doctor all look at her. It feels like the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing. I am interested in hearing from any one who has gone through something similar and found a solution.

http://gero.sdsu.edu/whatis.php

this link might not be the best one you can do a search for gerontologist & I would take this question & ask in the senior section here so you can get a network of people who have experience with this.

This might sound crazy, but i'd take her to a nutritionist first, then an endocrinologist, then a holistic medical doctor.

Between those 3 specialists you can increase the quality of life fro your mom.

Most doctors don't know a thing about nutrition, AT ALL. An expert nutritionist might discover things that the doctors haven't even though about.

Endo specialist can discover chemical imbalances that also create symptoms that regular doctors don't have a clue about. He may alleviate symptoms that are being caused purely by hormonal imbalances.

Lastly a holistic medical doctor would be more in tune with the nutritionist and endo than the other specialist you listed.

I went through this, along with my mother, with my grandmother about 10 years ago. The best thing you can do is to get a PCP who specializes in geriatrics and work closely with him or her. You're going to have to be your mother's champion; making certain to know what medications she's on, what side effects she experiences, and what declines she is exhibiting in her physical health. The sad thing is, as we age, we find ourselves becoming parents again, for our parents. Good luck!

You need to find an internist who specializes in geriatric medicine (also know as a geriatrician.) That doctor will oversee her treatment from all the other specialists. To find a geriatric internist you might try going to this link http://webapps.ama-assn.org/doctorfinder/html/patient.html and using the doctor finder link to find a doctor by specialty (geriatrics) in your area (if you are in the United States.) Also, check with her insurance carrier, a local medical college or teaching hospital or even United Way to see if they can suggest geriatric practitioners in your area. Good luck!

I agree with Jan, in that your mother should seek the help of an internal medicine doctor. They may or may not specialize farther into geriatrics, but I.M. doctors do have more experience with complicated cases (than a general practitioner). The I.M. doctor would work as the the main doctor who's overseeing the case, to lessen chances of complications.

The best bet is to have a pharmacologist where you are getting your prescriptions filled check for drug interactions, since he'll know everything she's on. Have a general practictioner as her personal doctor to coordinate all of the specialists.

Talk to a doctor and see what a doctor recommends. If she is hospitalized the hospital should be able to recommend doctors for her if not be her doctor themselves.

she needs to be seen by a Geriantologist - a specialist that works with all kinds of diseases of the elderly.

see a geriatric specialist. they are trained for care of the elderly.

i would have toi know more of the problems specifically

only you can answer that. we dont know of her... sorry