Challenges in Long-Term Geriatric and Palliative Care

Practice guidelines for management of conditions prevalent in long-term geriatric care are based, by and large, on expert consensus and rarely on controlled studies. Though enforced by tradition, some of the rules often applied in clinical practice fall short of scientific foundation. In lacking high-grade scientific evidence, geriatric practice might benefit from an evidence-balanced approach. A step forward in this direction is by corroboration of observational data. In this book, we brought our share of observational data, input from our experience in geriatric care, to be merged with the professions collective information base. Seventy-five case histories illustrate a variety of conditions met at the bedside, some of them challenging the clinicians expertise and judgement. We hope that illustrating clinical practice in the real-world might be a suitable addition for physicians.