Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine

Geriatrics facts

• The U.S. Census Bureau defines an "older American" as anyone over 65 years of age.  
• In the United States, life expectancy at birth is 74.8 years for men.
• For women in the United States, life expectancy at birth is 80.2 years.
• In 1990, Americans over age 65 represented 4% of the population; by 2020, they accounted for nearly 17%.
• It's projected that by the year 2030, one in five people will be age 65 or older and by 2034 will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history.

Understanding geriatricians and gerontologists

With age comes wisdom, along with a variety of new needs. Attending to older Americans' needs is the work of geriatricians and gerontologists. 

• Geriatricians treat the medical and psychosocial issues of aging.
• Gerontologists study the issues of aging.

About the Glennan Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology

Established in 1996, the Glennan Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology leads EVMS's efforts in patient care, education and research on age-related conditions and have helped older adults live better, fuller lives while maintaining as high a degree of independence as possible.  

Our clinicians address the needs of older adults through compassionate care in a variety of settings. You will find our providers in the hospital, with geriatric consultation services and palliative-medicine consultation clinics and in the EVMS Lawrence J. Goldrich Institute for Integrated Neuro-Health located on the EVMS campus in Andrews Hall. The Comprehensive Memory Center within the Goldrich Institute provides multi-specialty patient care, offering comprehensive assessment for adults concerned about changes in their memory. 

The EVMS Healthy Aging Consultation Clinic, also within the Goldrich Institute, utilizes principles established by Age-Friendly Health Systems to help older adults age successfully to achieve the best quality of life possible by concentrating on the 4 M’s: Medication, Mobility, Mentation and What Matters Most.