When may a geriatric palliative medicine consultation be helpful?

Many health professionals do not receive training to recognize the significance of frailty. Frailty is the result of multiple, interacting and complex health illnesses, which often accumulate as we get older.  For older adults, serious chronic medical conditions, dementia (problems with thinking and memory), difficulty walking, and increasing problems doing day-to-day tasks often indicate that the person is in the final phase of their life.  When overall health is declining and there is no available treatment to restore health, it may be time to think about a palliative approach. This approach provides the wisdom that ensures quality of life in the dying process.