Geriatric Urology and Aging Societies

Abstract

Populations of almost every country will see growth in the proportion of older persons throughout the coming decades. Life spans for those over age 65 continue to rise throughout the world. Such growth will have major impacts on economics, politics, and health care. In the USA, the population over age 65 and especially that over 85 years will increase rapidly through 2050. Most older persons will remain at home, but those with increasing functional limitations will seek assisted living or long-term care facilities. Those in long-term care will demonstrate multiple diseases and perhaps 50 % will have some dementia. Since urologists treat many diseases of older adults, including prostatic obstruction, genitourinary cancers, incontinence, and others, they will encounter a growing number of these elderly patients in their practices. Hence, there is a need for urologists to acquire basic knowledge in care of the geriatric patient just as, in the past, they have done for the pediatric patient. As a result of this increasing emphasis on geriatric care in urology, the American Urological Association included a chapter on Geriatric Urology in its latest online curriculum for urology, especially since the American Board of Urology and the Residency Review Committee for Urology both require geriatrics as a core area of knowledge for residency education and Board certification.