Abstract:

Presents the text of a lecture honoring Dr. Irving Wright, a major contributor to research on geriatrics & founder of the American Federation for Aging Research. The future of geriatric research is examined in light of the genetic, physiological, psychological, social, & health service aspects of the field. On the biomechanic level, new findings on relationships between factors such as genetic mutations & longevity or the oxidation of cellular DNA & aging may generate new treatment alternative. At the applied geriatric level, new models of cost-effective & sensitive in-home care are emerging, such as the PACE program for the very frail, as are more holistic approaches to long-term care, which are evident in the Jewish Home & Hospital of New York City project to reduce the use of restraints in hospitals & nursing homes. Recent studies have also generated new questions, eg, understanding why similarly aged populations exhibit such variabilities in symptoms & longevity, how multiple coincident factors influence the aging process, & why different risk factors occur at different ages. Above all, quality of life through a focus on the individual remains key, which can be improved through reasserting the field's professional commitment to helping others & increasing the geriatric-specific content of academic & applied medicine.