Pathophysiology
Clinical Framing
Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is the gold standard for NP-led care of complex older adults. Falls cause 20,000 deaths/year in the US; polypharmacy causes more preventable hospitalizations than any single disease; frailty predicts outcomes from surgery to chemo to ICU better than age alone. NPs who conduct even abbreviated CGA detect actionable problems invisible to problem-focused visits.
