The Later Years

Abstract

Each member of society belongs to a family which may be a single member unit, a traditional unit consisting of husband, wife, and offspring, or a more complex unit consisting of an extended family with multiple interactions among two to three generations. Just as the family unit has an individual identity with traditions, aspirations, and needs, so also does each member of this unit have individual and unique traditions, aspirations, and needs which may change and evolve with time. The family physician must approach the older patient as an individual belonging to a family unit whose history encompasses the past, the present, and the future. The older individual may be a vital member of the family unit or may not. However, that individual nevertheless fulfills a role within that family, and his pain, suffering, and limitations will affect the family unit. The family physician must understand the family unit in which the individual functions just as he must understand and work with the individual patient.