Questions to Ask a Geriatrician
For an older adult seeing a geriatrician for the first time or at a follow-up, and for the son, daughter or caregiver who comes along. The questions follow the usual order of the visit: the whole picture, the medication review, falls and mobility, memory and mood, driving and managing at home, and the plan that comes out of it. Most are written in the patient's voice, so swap in 'my mother' or 'my husband' when you are asking for someone else; each note says what to listen for in the reply or what to do with it, and none of it is medical advice.
The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
The whole picture
What will you look at that my regular doctor does not?
Why ask it
A good answer is a list of specifics: how you walk, every medicine you take, memory, mood, and how an ordinary day at home goes. If it sounds like any other check-up, ask what the longer first visit is meant to add.
What does the assessment involve, and how long should we allow?
Why ask it
Put this to the office when you book, then again in the room. First visits often run longer than an ordinary appointment and can include a timed walk, a short memory test and questions for whoever came with you. That is the reason to bring glasses, hearing aids, the walking aid and a snack, and to choose the time of day when you are at your best.
Which of these changes is ordinary aging, and which has a cause we can treat?
Why ask it
Name them one by one: the tiredness, the slower walking, the unsteadiness, the poor appetite. 'That's your age' with no examination behind it is the worrying answer. A better one sorts the list and says what will be checked for each.
Of everything on my list of problems, which one would you work on first?
Why ask it
People arrive with eight diagnoses and one thing that is ruining the week, and they are not always the same. Say which problem bothers you most, then see whether the geriatrician's choice matches and ask why if it doesn't.
Will you take over as my main doctor, or advise the one I already have?
Why ask it
Both arrangements exist, and which one a clinic offers depends on the practice and the health system, so ask how it works there. Either way, pin down who renews prescriptions and who you call on a day you feel unwell.
Can I have a few minutes with you alone, and can my daughter have the same?
Why ask it
Each of you may be holding back something that is hard to say in front of the other, whether it is a fall nobody was told about or how worn out the helper is. Many geriatricians split a visit this way as a matter of routine. What the clinic may share with a relative depends on local privacy rules and your permission, so settle that at the same time.
I sleep badly at night and doze through the day. What would you try before a sleeping pill?
Why ask it
Describe one real night: when you go to bed, how often you are up, and whether it is pain, the bathroom or a busy mind that wakes you. Those causes and the daytime naps are usually where the answer starts. If a tablet is suggested, or you already take one, the follow-up is how it sits with your balance and your memory.
Could my hearing or eyesight be making everything else look worse?
Why ask it
A person who cannot hear the question can look confused, and one who cannot see the step can look unsteady. Find out when each was last tested and whether the clinic checks them or sends you elsewhere. Wear the aids and the right glasses to the appointment so the other tests are fair.
I have lost weight without trying. Is that something to look into?
Why ask it
Bring a rough figure and a time span if you can, or mention the belt notch and the clothes that hang loose. A useful reply asks about teeth, swallowing, mood, cooking and money for food before it reaches for a supplement drink. If you are told it is nothing, ask what amount of further loss would change that.
Can we talk about leaks, rushing to the toilet or constipation, even though I find it awkward?
Why ask it
It is easy to put up with these for years in the belief that nothing can be done, while they quietly shape the day: no long outings, less to drink, hurried trips in the dark. This is routine ground for a geriatrician. Come away knowing what can be tried first and whether any of your medicines play a part.
Medications
For each medicine on this list, what is it for, and is it still doing that job?
Why ask it
Put the bottles on the desk and go one at a time. A worrying sign is a pill nobody in the room can explain, or one started for a problem that ended years ago. Write the purpose next to each name as you go, and you leave with a list any other doctor can read.
Which of these could we reduce or stop, and how would we go about it?
Why ask it
A thoughtful answer picks one or two candidates, changes them one at a time and says what to watch for, since some medicines need to come down gradually. 'You need all of them', said without looking at the list, deserves a polite second ask. Do not stop anything yourself on the strength of this conversation.
Could any of my medicines be causing the dizziness, the sleepiness or the muddled thinking?
Why ask it
Dates help most here: when the symptom began and what was started or raised in the weeks before. If the geriatrician suspects one, the plan will be a lower dose, a swap or a trial without it. Get it said which, and how long before you would expect to see a difference.
What can I take for this pain most days without it causing other trouble?
Why ask it
Say where it hurts, what it stops you doing and what you take now, counting the tablets from the supermarket shelf. A considered reply weighs each painkiller against your stomach, your kidneys, your balance and the rest of your list, and often adds something that is not a pill. Have the daily limit that applies to you written on the box.
Some of these doses were set years ago. Are they still right for me now?
Why ask it
A prescription can roll on unchanged for a decade while the person taking it changes a good deal: lighter, older, kidneys working differently. The check is usually a look at recent blood tests and your current weight. Hearing 'I looked, and they are fine' is a perfectly good outcome.
Do the things I buy myself worry you: sleep aids, painkillers, antacids, herbal remedies?
Why ask it
Bring them in the same bag as the prescriptions, because doctors can only weigh what they can see. The nightly sleep tablet and the supplement a friend recommended are the ones that get left at home. The answer you want names which to drop and what to use in their place.
Is any medicine here treating a side effect of another one?
Why ask it
It can happen when different doctors each add something without seeing the whole list: one pill brings on a new symptom, and a second pill is prescribed for the symptom. If the geriatrician spots a pair like that, the next question is whether changing the first would let the second go.
How can we make the daily routine simpler, with fewer pills or fewer times a day?
Why ask it
Admit it if doses get missed or doubled. The answer is likely to be practical, not a scolding: once-a-day versions, a weekly organizer, a pharmacy that sorts pills into dated packs. Whether a pharmacy offers that, and what it costs, varies, so ask locally.
After a hospital stay, will you compare the list I was sent home with against the one I had before?
Why ask it
Discharge is when lists go wrong: something added for the stay is never stopped, or an old medicine is dropped by accident. Book the first visit after you come home early, and bring both lists to it. Someone also has to tell your pharmacy and your other prescribers what changed, so settle who.
Falls and mobility
I have fallen, or come close. What do you think is behind it?
Why ask it
Report every fall and near miss, including the ones you got up from and told nobody about, with where you were and what you were doing. A solid answer usually has several parts, such as medicines, blood pressure on standing, eyesight, feet and leg strength. 'Be more careful' is not a cause.
Will you watch me walk and get up from a chair, and tell me what you notice?
Why ask it
It takes a couple of minutes and shows more than a description can. Wear your everyday shoes and use the cane or walker you use at home, without putting on a show. Plain words are what you are after: short steps, a lean to one side, pushing up with the arms.
Would physical therapy or a balance class help me, and how do I get a place?
Why ask it
A referral worth having names a kind of exercise, a number of weeks and who sends the paperwork. What is covered and how long the wait runs differ by area and by insurer, so the clinic is the place to check. If getting there is the obstacle, say so: in some areas a therapist can come to the house.
What exercise is safe for me to do on my own, and what should I leave alone for now?
Why ask it
Start with what you do now, even if it is only the walk to the mailbox, and what stops you: breathlessness, a sore knee, fear of going over. Advice you can use is specific enough to begin this week, with minutes, days and something to hold on to. Get the stopping rule too: which feeling means rest and which means a phone call.
Do I need a cane or a walker, and who makes sure it is the right one for me?
Why ask it
A cane borrowed from a neighbor or bought off a shelf may be the wrong height, and a walker used badly can trip the person pushing it. Fitting it and teaching you to use it is often a physical therapist's job, so find out who does that here. If you own one and leave it by the door, say why: too heavy, embarrassing, useless on the stairs.
What would you change in my home first to make a fall less likely?
Why ask it
Describe the real layout: the stairs, the bathroom, the rug in the hall, where the light switch is when you get up at night. Some services send an occupational therapist to walk through the house, and who provides or pays for that differs by place. Start with the spot where you have already slipped.
Should the strength of my bones be checked, and what would the result change?
Why ask it
The point of asking is what a fall would cost you, not only how to avoid one. A clear answer says whether a scan is worth doing in your case and what would follow from it. If you have ever broken a bone in a minor fall, mention it even if it was years ago.
What should I do if I fall and cannot get up?
Why ask it
Work out the plan aloud: how you would call for help from the floor, who would come and how they would get in. The geriatrician or a therapist may be able to teach a safe way to get up, or tell you when not to try. An alarm worn on the body only helps if it is on at the time, including in the bathroom.
I have stopped going out because I am afraid of falling. What can be done about that?
Why ask it
Say it even if you have never actually fallen. Staying in feels like the safe choice, and it can leave legs weaker and days lonelier. A helpful reply treats the fear as a problem in its own right and offers a way to rebuild confidence, such as supervised practice outdoors.
Memory and mood
I am more forgetful than I used to be. Is it worth testing, and what is the test like?
Why ask it
Give two or three real examples, like a missed appointment or a repeated story, since 'my memory is bad' tells a doctor little. The first step is usually a short set of questions and tasks done in the room. A screening score is not a diagnosis, so have the doctor say what it can and cannot show.
What else could explain the memory change besides dementia?
Why ask it
The fear in the room is usually one word, and it helps to hear the other possibilities said aloud: a medicine, poor sleep, low mood, hearing, an illness that can be treated. You should hear which of them will be checked and how. If a label arrives before any of that, it is fair to ask what ruled the others out.
May I describe what I have been seeing at home?
Why ask it
This one is for the relative. Come with dated notes: the pan left on, the bill paid twice, the wrong turn on a familiar road. If saying it in front of your parent would humiliate them, hand the notes to the front desk beforehand or ask for a minute alone with the doctor.
If the memory test raises a concern, what happens next and who does it?
Why ask it
You want the route laid out: blood tests, a scan, a longer assessment, a memory clinic. Waits and referral rules vary a lot by area, so ask what they are here. Find out too who gives the results and whether a family member can be present.
I have lost interest in things I used to enjoy. Could this be depression, and what helps at my age?
Why ask it
Low mood in later life can show up as tiredness, poor appetite or not bothering, and get filed under getting old. Mention a bereavement or a move if there has been one. The choices may include talking therapy, more company and activity, medicine, or a mix, and whichever is picked should come with a date to check whether it is working.
What should we do if the confusion comes on suddenly, over hours or a couple of days?
Why ask it
A change that fast is a different matter from a slow drift, and the family should have instructions before it ever happens: who to call at what hour, and when to skip the clinic and go straight to urgent or emergency care. Have ready what they will want to know, such as new medicines, signs of illness and how much the person is eating and drinking. Keep the answer where everyone in the house can find it.
If this is the start of dementia, what would you want us to sort out while I can still decide for myself?
Why ask it
Hard to ask, and better asked early. The reply may cover naming someone to make decisions, money, driving and where you would want to live, and the legal side varies by country and state, so ask who advises on it locally. It keeps the choices in your hands instead of leaving them to a crisis.
Driving and home
Do you have any concerns about my driving, and how would you judge it?
Why ask it
A fair answer is based on something: eyesight, reaction time, memory, the medicines, a recent near miss. A formal on-road assessment, where one exists nearby, can settle a family argument better than opinions do. Who has to notify the licensing authority, and when, differs by country and state, so ask how it works where you live.
If my father ought to stop driving, will you be the one to tell him?
Why ask it
For the son or daughter. The same sentence lands differently from a doctor than from a child, and it spares you being the villain. Ask in the same breath what would replace the car locally, because losing the keys with no alternative means losing the stores, the friends and the appointments too.
Is it reasonable for me to go on living alone, and what would change your mind?
Why ask it
Listen for specifics about you, not a general view on people your age. The second half gives the family an agreed set of signs, such as repeated falls, missed medicines or getting lost, so the next conversation starts from something the doctor said. If the reply is 'you will know', press for examples, and disagree out loud if you see the risks differently.
What kind of help at home would make the biggest difference to me?
Why ask it
The answer might be someone for the shower, delivered meals, a cleaner, or a person who sets out the pills. What exists, who arranges it and who pays are different in every country and often in every county, so find the person at the clinic who knows the local system, often a social worker. Starting with one kind of help is easier to accept than a full schedule.
I do most of the caring and I am worn out. What is there for me?
Why ask it
Caregivers rarely ask this, and the patient's plan depends on them holding up. Say plainly what you can no longer do, such as nights or lifting. Depending on where you live there may be respite care, day programs, training or a caregiver assessment, and the clinic should be able to point you to them.
If home stops working, what kind of place would suit me, and who helps us find it?
Why ask it
Have the geriatrician describe the need in tasks: help with pills, with the shower, with getting up at night, with nursing care. The labels, whether assisted living, residential care or nursing home, mean different things from one country or state to the next, and so does who pays, so find out who assesses this locally. Take the list of tasks with you to any tour.
The plan
Can I tell you what matters most to me, so the plan is built around it?
Why ask it
Make it concrete: staying in your own house, walking to the corner store, a clear head for the grandchildren's visits. A geriatrician should then be able to say which treatments serve that and which work against it. If the plan you are handed does not mention it, say it again.
Who keeps track of all my specialists, and can that be you?
Why ask it
Somebody should be reading every letter and noticing when two plans collide. If the geriatrician will not be that person, ask who is, and how each specialist learns what the others have changed. Carry your own up-to-date list of doctors and medicines regardless.
Two of my specialists have told me opposite things. Who decides?
Why ask it
Bring the actual instructions, such as one doctor saying drink more and another saying drink less. A geriatrician can often weigh the two against your overall health and phone a colleague, which is hard for a patient to do. Leave with one instruction in writing.
Which screening tests and routine checks are still worth having, and which could I let go?
Why ask it
Some checks are done to prevent trouble many years ahead, and it is fair to ask whether each one still earns the trip and the preparation. The geriatrician should give a reason per test, not a blanket rule by age. The decision is yours, and you can revisit it.
Which vaccinations are due for someone my age, and do I get them here or at a pharmacy?
Why ask it
The schedule for older adults is set country by country and changes from time to time, so the useful answer is a short list with a month or a season beside each. Shots given at a pharmacy or a workplace years ago may not be in this clinic's file, so say what you remember having and roughly when. If one made you ill in the past, mention it before the list is written.
Another doctor has suggested an operation. What would you weigh before saying yes?
Why ask it
A surgeon's attention is on the operation itself, and a geriatrician's is on how the whole person comes through it: the anesthetic, the days in bed, the weeks of recovery, the chance of confusion afterward. Two things to raise are what could be done beforehand to help it go well and what recovery at home would demand of your family.
Should I put my wishes in writing and name someone to speak for me, and can you help with that?
Why ask it
The forms have different names and different legal force depending on the country or state, so ask what applies where you live and who can witness it. Whatever the form, have the conversation too: tell the geriatrician and your family what you would and would not want, and why. A copy belongs in your record at the clinic.
If I am admitted to the hospital, how will you find out, and what should my family tell the staff?
Why ask it
Do not assume the hospital and the clinic share records; someone may need to call the office on admission. Keep a one-page summary ready with diagnoses, medicines, how you normally walk and think, and who to phone. The 'normally' matters because staff who have never met you cannot tell what is new.
Between visits, what do you want to hear about, and who do I tell?
Why ask it
Have the geriatrician give examples for you: a fall, a new prescription from another doctor, weight dropping, a bad week of confusion. Then get the route, whether a nurse line, the portal or the front desk, and how fast a reply usually comes. Put the number in the phone of whoever helps you as well.
Can we leave with today's plan in writing, with what changed and who does what?
Why ask it
After a long visit covering medicines, balance and memory, nobody remembers all of it by the time they are back in the car. One page should show the changes, the referrals and the next appointment, and who books each thing. A copy for your regular doctor and one for the relative who helps saves three phone calls.
Getting the most from a geriatric appointment
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before the appointment
Bring every bottle in one bag
Put everything you take into a bag: prescriptions, eye drops, inhalers, creams, vitamins and whatever you buy at the pharmacy counter. Labels show doses and prescribers that a handwritten list leaves out. Include the ones you were prescribed and have stopped taking, and say so.
Write down the falls and the bad days
Note each fall or near miss since the last visit with the date, the place and what you were doing. Do the same for spells of confusion or dizziness. A page of dated lines is more use to the geriatrician than 'a few times lately'.
Come equipped to be tested
Wear your usual shoes and bring your glasses, hearing aids with working batteries and the cane or walker you really use. The walking and memory checks are only fair if you can see, hear and move as you do at home. Eat beforehand, since first visits can be long.
Choose your three questions
Pick one question from the group that worries you most and two more, and say them at the start. A geriatrician will often cover several of the others unprompted. Keep the full list for the follow-up visit.
Ask the office what to send ahead
When you book, ask whether the clinic wants records, recent blood tests or letters from your specialists before the day, and whether there is a form to fill in at home. Whether you need a referral from your regular doctor depends on the health system and your coverage, so check that on the same call. Ask too how long the visit will be, and whether a relative who cannot travel may join by phone.
Coming along as a son, daughter or caregiver
Let them answer first
The appointment belongs to the patient. Give them time to answer in their own words, even when the answer is slow or not quite how you remember it, and add your part afterward. How they tell the story is part of what the geriatrician is there to observe.
Put your observations on paper
If your account differs from theirs, a note handed over at the start does less damage than a correction mid-sentence. Keep it factual and dated: what happened, when, how often. Leave out conclusions such as 'she cannot cope'.
Agree beforehand what will be raised
Springing the driving question in the exam room feels like an ambush. Tell your relative in advance what you plan to bring up, and ask what they want from the visit themselves.
Sort out permission
Ask the clinic what it needs before it can talk to you by phone or share results, since privacy rules differ between countries and offices. If your relative agrees, get the form signed during the visit.
Say what you can and cannot do
A care plan that assumes you are available every day will fail quietly if you are not. Tell the geriatrician how far away you live, what hours you work and which tasks you are not able to take on.
After the visit
Keep a record of each change
If a medicine is being lowered or stopped, write the date on a calendar and note how the following weeks go: sleep, balance, pain, mood. The geriatrician will want that record at the follow-up, and it shows which change did what.
Replace the old medicine list
Rewrite the list the same day and throw away the earlier copies, including the one in the wallet and the one on the refrigerator. Give the new version to the pharmacy and to whoever helps with the pills.
Chase the referrals
Ask at the desk how long each referral usually takes, and put a date in the calendar to call if nothing has arrived. Physical therapy, a home visit or a memory clinic can each sit on a waiting list that nobody is watching.
Tell the other doctors
Do not rely on letters crossing between offices. At your next appointment with any specialist, show the updated list and say what the geriatrician changed and why.
When the conversation gets difficult
Everything is put down to age
Ask what would be checked if the same symptom appeared in someone twenty years younger, and whether any of that makes sense for you. Age can be the explanation, but it should come after a look, not instead of one.
The doctor talks to the relative, not the patient
Say it kindly: 'I would like you to explain this to me, and my daughter will listen.' If hearing is the obstacle, ask the doctor to face you, slow down and write the key points.
The patient says everything is fine
Plenty of people put on their best performance for a doctor. As the relative, do not argue in the room. Ask a neutral question instead, such as 'Can we tell the doctor about last Tuesday?', or pass your note to the nurse.
There is too much for one visit
Ask the geriatrician to help rank what was not reached and to book the follow-up before you leave. Spreading the work over two or three visits is common, and a medication change is better made carefully than quickly.
You disagree with the advice
On driving, living alone or a move, the patient may weigh risk differently from the doctor and the family. Ask what would make the riskier choice safer, and who can explain how decisions are handled where you live if the ability to make them is ever in question.