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European Union Geriatric Medicine Society
Geriatric medicine in a time of generational shift
5th Congress of the EUGMS · 3-6 September 2008 · Copenhagen |
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Dear Colleague,
Today, most geriatricians are treating elderly born in the first decades of the 20th century. These generations endured financial depression, world wars, the Spanish Flu and hard work. Later they benefited from industrial development, prosperous times, and antibiotics and they had numerous children. These elderly belong to the "gratitude generations" as they have gratefully obeyed medical authority, whereas their children, who belong to the so called post-WW2 generations or the baby boomers, question all authorities.
In a time of intergenerational shift, geriatricians need to prepare themselves for the changing characteristics of the future geriatric baby boomers. They will not only be numerous: they will also be different! In addition to the "classic diseases they will suffer from life-style associated diseases owing to the sedentary life style and rich caloric intake of their generation. Although trained to treat older people with multiple diseases and functional decline geriatricians are forced to develop an alertness vis-a-vis the future hordes of baby boomers with both high comorbidity and high demands. They will challenge our knowledge and expect us to be on top of the latest recommendations and to have insight into new treatments. This is why you need to be in Copenhagen on September 3-6, 2008.
EUGMS 2008 Organizing and Scientific committee.
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