A ‘COMMON SENSE’ approach to geriatric patients in clinical practice

South Africa has a critical shortage of geriatricians and a growing ageing population. Most geriatric patients are cared for by their primary care practitioner who may not have been trained in the care of the older adult. The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is the cornerstone of the geriatric consultation but can be time-consuming. By using a common sense approach to the geriatric patient, none of the important components of the CGA will be missed. The mnemonic 'COMMON SENSE' can be used as a tool to assist in identifying the common conditions that older adults experience, as well as highlight specific considerations that become increasingly important in this population. Many simple and time-effective screening tools are available to assist in diagnosing the geriatric syndromes which can be easily implemented in a busy primary care practice.