NORTHEAST PA — There’s an old adage that age is just a number and does not define who you are.

 In most cases, that saying is very accurate, as the date on your birth certificate does not determine how you feel physically and mentally and how active you remain in your golden years. 

When it comes to the primary care you receive, though, it is best to see a health care provider with specialized training in geriatrics.

As we all know, our overall population is aging. There are nearly 58 million adults ages 65 and older in the United States today—accounting for about 17.3 percent of our nation’s population, according to 2022 data. By 2040, that population segment is forecast to grow to 22 percent.

Those golden years, whether they are for my parents or you and your loved ones, should include bountiful opportunities filled with grandchildren, travel and a healthy, active lifestyle. That’s why geriatricians are essential for people 65 years and older.

Geriatricians such as myself work to promote independent and active lifestyles for the young at heart and especially to reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits. 

Our focus is to provide a better quality of life by addressing medications (you do not want to overmedicate), identifying the onset of memory issues, and diagnosing comorbidities—the presence of two or more diseases or medical conditions.

At The Wright Center for Community Health, we offer numerous programs, resources and care teams to help mature adults and their caregivers in the communities we serve in Northeast Pennsylvania. Our Alzheimer’s Dementia Care program, for example, focuses on cognition and memory issues. Individuals with suspected memory issues can have their concerns addressed by one of our nurse practitioners or geriatricians. 

We also collaborate with a variety of community resources, such as Telespond Senior Services, the United Social Isolation Project and caregiver respite services programs, all to restore the independence of our more mature patients or help them remain independent longer and live in their homes.

The Wright Center also makes house calls. Our team of nurse practitioners and physician assistants coordinate specialized care with geriatricians on staff to ensure our mature adults’ medical and social needs are addressed through our home visits.

Individualized service does not end after a home visit. Our care coordinators call patients once a month for chronic care management. These specialized professionals address pain, chronic medical issues and the reconciliation of medications. They can also arrange public transportation or personal Uber car rides for patients needing help getting to an important doctor’s appointment. 

Chronic care management is a critical element of your overall care plan at The Wright Center. Designed by one of our geriatricians, this collaboration identifies warning signs or symptoms early enough to avoid hospitalizations and more severe illness or injury. 

Our integrated collaborative team approach addresses your primary and preventive care and specialized geriatric care needs.

For those who want to remain with their longtime family doctor, The Wright Center offers geriatric consults that address polypharmacy, medication side effects, deprescribing medications and more. The care plan devised from the consult is then shared with your primary care provider. 

The Wright Center’s personal attention also includes Welcome to Medicare and Annual Medicare visits, which are covered by health insurance. These visits address chronic medical issues, screening, and prevention (vaccination services), including age-appropriate cancer screenings for low-dose lung cancer, prostrate-specific antigens, aortic aneurysms, mammograms and pap smears.

By specializing in aging, geriatricians like myself can better address the unique health issues of older adults. It is a privilege to work with you and your loved ones to ensure your golden years are filled with beautiful moments.

Dr. Tanureet Kochar is a dual board-certified internal medicine and geriatric physician. She is accepting patients aged 18 and older at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn. Dr. Kochar also serves The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education as a core faculty member of the internal medicine residency and geriatric fellowship programs.