By DoM Communications | Date published: March 5, 2026
Jerry Gurwitz Discusses How Older Adults Can Receive Proper Care in Recent Conversation Publication
In a recent article published in The Conversation, author Jerry H. Gurwitz, MD, the Dr. John Meyers Professor of Primary Care Medicine, and professor of medicine in the Divisions of Geriatric Medicine and Health Systems Science, highlights the importance of high-quality medical care for older adults.
According to Dr. Gurwitz, as the population continues to age, physicians and nurse practitioners trained in geriatrics play a crucial role in helping older adults maintain their health, independence, and quality of life for as long as possible. However, given the shortage of geriatricians available to care for the aging population, Dr. Gurwitz encourages patients and families to use a simple framework known as the “5Ms” to have more productive conversations with their physicians regarding their overall health.
“This mnemonic captures the core principles of optimal geriatric care. The letters stand for mind, mobility, medications, multicomplexity, and matters most,” explained Dr. Gurwitz. “The importance of each of these essentials of care for older adults may seem obvious, but it’s amazing how often they are overlooked when doctors without training in geriatrics take care of their older patients.”