Division of Geriatric Medicine
About Us
Geriatricians look after medical conditions of older adults and focus on the unique problems of adults in later life, including frailty, dementia, impaired memory, delirium, falls, inappropriate drug use, and incontinence. These conditions complicate surgery and other medical care, add complexity to chronic diseases (such as diabetes, osteoarthritis and heart diseases), and reduce the ability of older adults to carry out their everyday activities.
Members of the Division of Geriatric Medicine provide diverse clinical services—from acute to community care—to the Edmonton Zone and beyond. Although mostly concentrated at the university site, they also provide care in specialty clinics in osteoporosis, mild cognitive impairment, and bladder and bowel problems.
As the ratio of geriatricians to the large geriatric population is low, division geriatricians provide leadership in organizing Alberta Health Services and the community to meet the needs of the population.
Message from the Division Director
Our website gives you a glimpse of a small but forward-looking, innovative Division that is committed to patient care, research and education.
The Division incorporates the Specialized Geriatrics Program at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, acute geriatric care at the University of Alberta Hospital, and the Royal Alexandra Hospital within the city. We promote an active research and teaching culture where all of our patients can expect to be involved and active in our programs, encouraging the development of a highly active component of the academic health centre within the city.
Our research embraces work within the Geriatric giants of incontinence, falls, frailty, and delirium. Coupled with knowledge translation and clinical effectiveness projects, our research is known both nationally and internationally.
The Dr. Peter N. McCracken Legacy Scholarship embraces research activities in geriatrics/gerontology by postgraduate students, with not only exemplary academic achievement, but who are also role models of excellence in clinical care and research.
Our residency program in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Alberta is approved by Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Any questions about the resident program may be addressed to Dr. A. Hussain, Program Director, Residency Program in Geriatric Medicine and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine.
An undergraduate special interest group in older adults is also mentored within the Division.
Dr. Adrian Wagg, MB, FRCP, FHEA
Chair in Healthy Ageing
Director and Professor
Division of Geriatric Medicine
Email: Adrian.Wagg@ualberta.ca
Research
Research within the Division covers the geriatric syndromes of incontinence, frailty, and dementia, as well as the application of assistive devices to aid independent living.
We have extensive collaboration with researchers in the Faculty of Nursing in the area of knowledge transfer and mobilization on topics such as quality of care for nursing home residents and the association of urinary incontinence and falls in older people. We also have active links with researchers elsewhere in Canada and in the United Kingdom in these areas.
Contact Information
Division Director
Executive Assistant to Division Director
Chelsea Sorensen
1-198 Clinical Sciences Building
Email: geriea@ualberta.ca
Phone: 780-492-5338
Division of Geriatric Medicine
1-198 Clinical Sciences Building
University of Alberta
11350 - 83 Avenue
Edmonton, AB, T6G 2P4
Canada
Phone: 780-492-5338
Fax: 780-492-2874
Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Site
10230 - 111 Avenue
Room GW 1259
Edmonton, AB, T5G 0B7
Canada
Phone: 780-735-8845
Fax: 780-735-8846