INTRODUCTION

Gerontology: is the science that studies the aging process in general as well as biological, psychological and social changes that occur in the elderly.

Geriatrics: is the branch of medicine that studies the acute and chronic diseases in older patients in both its clinical, therapeutic, preventive and social.

Principles of Geriatrics:

• Take care, not cure. Provide comfort and independence
• Essence: comprehensive geriatric assessment
• Know when to treat or cure. Make effective palliative treatment
• No over treated for mild conditions or sub-contract serious condition
• Rehabilitate.
• The family is crucial to good geriatric care
• The old man can be educated
• Search for undiagnosed illnesses
• Be alert for atypical presentations of disease
• Depression: the great masked geriatrics
• Never underestimate the morbid impact of vision and hearing loss
• Always try and prevent more disability 

“Caring involves a conscious and intentional responsibility for the nurse. It is a moral ideal that requires sensitivity and a high ethical and moral commitment”.¹

Geriatrics Goals:

- Prevent the elderly becomes a social burden or chronically ill (independence)

- Improve the quality of life rather than prolong

“Adding years to life and health to life, life to years”

Different situations of old age:

-         Healthy elderly person

-         Elderly person sick

-         Frail elderly

-         Patient Geriatric Presents 3 or more of the following criteria:

o       Over 75 years old.

o       Significant comorbidity.

o       Principal disabling disease.

o       Mental pathology.

o       Social problems regarding his health.

I think that thanks to geriatric nursing elders have higher level of wellness and get an increase in life expectancy.

1. Abades Porcel Mercedes. Los cuidados enfermeros en los centros geriátricos según el modelo de Watson. Gerokomos  [revista en la Internet]. 2007  Dic [citado  2013  Abr  04];  18(4): 18-22. Disponible en: http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1134-928X2007000400003&lng=es.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S1134-928X2007000400003.