LOOKING
Older adults and new retirees moving to
Texas have access to healthcare expertise
during their golden years
Warmer temperatures, a diverse landscape and job
opportunities have always attracted people to the Lone
Star State. Now, aging baby boomers include Texas on
their short list of ideal places to retire. Scott & White
Healthcare is expanding its senior services with a new
Center for Geriatric Medicine and research programs that
include participation in a nationwide study to help keep
seniors of advanced age safe and happy in their homes.
A
s more retirees bypass Florida
and Arizona to settle in Texas,
the state will continue to see a
huge increase in people age 60 and older.
As of 2003, more than 2.7 million Texans
fell into this age group, according to the
Texas Department on Aging and
Disability. The US Census Department
predicts that by 2030, almost 5.2 million
Texans will be age 65 and older. By that
year, Texas will have moved past New York
to claim the nation’s third largest senior
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THE CATALYST Spring 09
population, with California and Florida
remaining the top two.
For active folks and those falling prey
to the ills of active but advancing age,
the new Bone & Joint Institute, a priority
in Phase II of Scott & White’s Vision
Campaign, will meet the needs of patients
with joint pain, sports injuries and other
musculoskeletal conditions. The topranked Heart & Vascular Institute,
Neuroscience Institute and other specialty
services are available at Scott & White to
meet the spectrum of healthcare needs for
this population.
As individuals progress into their 70s
and 80s, however, a new set of medical
issues may arise and include changes in
daily activities. Cognitive health issues may
emerge too, such as dementia, a mind
disorder that affects perception, memory
and judgment.
Significant growth in geriatrics expertise
at Scott & White has been enhanced by the
recruitment of Linda Hitchcock, MD,
chairman of the Division of Geriatric
Medicine, Department of Internal
Medicine, Scott & White Healthcare.
Center for Geriatric Medicine
The recently opened Center for Geriatric
Medicine offers consultations with elderly
patients and their families, and trains
medical residents. “Our goal is to educate
patients and families and other physicians
about the appropriate care for the aged
population,” says Arden L. Aylor, MD,