There is a demographic shift in the U.S. towards an older population. This “gray tsunami” will disproportionately affect ophthalmology as a specialty because our top disorders are diseases of the elderly (age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), glaucoma and cataracts). Geriatric ophthalmic patients are not simply “older adults”; they have unique responses to treatment and disease and may have co-morbidities that impact diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Moreover, elderly patients may require the expertise of several health professionals from diverse disciplines who have experience in dealing with specific geriatric syndromes. Increasing geriatric expertise among ophthalmologists and primary care specialists while promoting competent, compassionate care of elderly patients is imperative.

This activity seeks to address the needs of the geriatric patient population by arming providers with the necessary information on topics such as diabetic retinopathy, ARMD, cataracts, glaucoma, low-vision, as well as related co-morbidities (e.g., depression, dementia, hearing loss, function loss, driving and elder abuse). There is an insufficient number of geriatricians to meet the demographic shift, and individual specialty providers, generalists and allied health personnel will be required to have expertise in geriatric domains within their areas of service in order to provide care that is optimal, cost effective and safe.