37. Vulnerable elderly patients

Vulnerable elderly (geriatric) patients will usually be older than, and ‘different’ from adult patients. In addition to multimorbidity and polypharmacy, they will often present differently or atypically and under-report, and this affects their illnesses and how we conduct physical examinations. A comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) should normally be carried out on these patients. This chapter sets out what examinations and tests you should do, why, how, and some specific tests for cognition functions, physical activity and self-sufficiency.