Insider’s Look at Geriatrics - Interview with Dr. Asif Merchant, Chief of Geriatrics at Newton-Wellesley Hospital

Despite an ever-aging population, the number of geriatricians has steadily decreased. 

 

Geriatricians are needed in hospitals, in nursing homes, long-term care facilities, primary care, and more.

 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, nursing homes received some additional attention, but more work needs to be done, and it must continue after the pandemic is gone.

 

We talked to geriatrician Dr. Asif Merchant about:

• What’s leading to the shortage of geriatricians 
• What it was like working in nursing homes during the covid-19 pandemic
• Challenges nursing homes face
• The importance of the patient-doctor relationship
• His story of becoming a geriatrician
• The importance of patients clearly sharing their wishes
• Message to his patients and fellow medical colleagues

 

Dr. Asif Merchant is the Chief of Geriatrics at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Chair of the Geriatrics Committee for Mass Medical Society, and is an Associate Clinical Professor at Tufts University.

 

He works with the elderly population in both hospitals and nursing homes. 

 

Connect with Dr. Asif Merchant: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asif-merchant-md/ 

 

Topical time codes: 

00:47 - Working in nursing homes during covid

1:57 - Covid, one year later

3:43 - Challenges nursing homes face

5:54 - Funding for nursing homes

6:50 - Shrinking number of geriatricians

9:18 - Becoming a geriatrician 

10:38 - Advocating for geriatrics though professional societies

13:13 - Growth of hospitalists & decline of geriatricians 

15:04 - What others don’t know about being a geriatrician

17:26 - Relationship with patients 

19:53 - Importance of communication

25:15 - Future of nursing homes - funding & collaboration 

27:22 - Message to families 

28:25 - Message to medical colleagues

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