Specialists to go on geriatric house calls

The Geriatric Housecall Programme in Chennai will soon have specialists visiting senior citizens at home, according to V. S. Natarajan, senior geriatrician, who started the programme.

“I am planning to have diploma holders in orthopaedics and psychologists counsel patients with psychiatric problems,” he said, adding that it was in response to a request made by patients. A 24x7 helpline is also being considered.

Doctors who visit elderly patients at their homes will be honoured. The Geriatric Seva Ratna Award will be given on July 1, celebrated as Doctor’s Day in the country, to a professional who has taken up house calls to treat senior citizens.

The award has been instituted by the Dr. V.S. Natarajan Geriatric Foundation, which is conducting a slew of activities to mark its 10th anniversary. Dr. Natarajan said the geriatric house call programme had so far treated 8,000 elderly patients.

Recently, a revised handbook of doctors who can take up house calls was released.