Abstract
The care of elderly patients with multiple comorbidities can be a challenge for healthcare professionals. Obtaining an accurate and complete history can be difficult in patients with depression, dementia, or aphasia. Likewise, the eye exam can be compromised by lack of cooperation or understanding or with patient compliance with instructions. Despite these challenges, it is important for eye care providers to actively screen for possible comorbidities in elderly patients that normally would be able to be elicited on history from a more cooperative or able patient. Important questions to consider during the history and physical exam may have to be answered by professional or family caregivers. Addressing the myriad of physician competencies in poorly cooperative older patients in institutionalized settings is particularly challenging. The importance of awareness and recognition of these limitations may improve the quality and delivery of eye care in these circumstances.
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Yalamanchili, S. (2019). Screening for Comorbidities. In: Beaver, H., Lee, A. (eds) Geriatric Ophthalmology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04019-2_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04019-2_15
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