Interdisciplinary Care for Older Adults with Complex Needs

Geriatrics Interdisciplinary Advisory Group

American Geriatrics Society Position Statement

BACKGROUND

Interdisciplinary care, the use of interdisciplinary care teams, and interdisciplinary collaboration

are terms used to refer to a philosophy and process of care that integrates the specialized

knowledge of multiple disciplines. The underlying rationale to support an interdisciplinary

approach in the care of older adults is based on several major premises: 1) the complexity of

care needs of older adults requires the expertise of multiple disciplines; 2) the process of care can

be facilitated through the involvement of multiple disciplines; and 3) the cost of care can likely

be decreased through the expertise of multiple disciplines involved in the prevention of disease

exacerbation and commonly noted geriatric syndromes, such as falls and delirium.

Interdisciplinary care provides outcomes based/high quality care to older adults with complex

care needs. At this point in time there is no one model of interdisciplinary team in terms of

number or types of professional disciplines that comprise a team. In certain settings, such as

rehabilitation, regulations define the minimum number and types of professionals: a physician, a

registered nurse and a therapist. Several key elements do exist, however, for effective

interdisciplinary teams: there is a shared purpose and goal, roles and responsibilities are clear,

members make appropriate contributions, teams cooperate and coordinate activities, and

members trust one another through an ongoing relationship (1). Interdisciplinary teams can

function within one setting, such as an ambulatory setting, or can follow the older adult through

different settings. Leadership on the interdisciplinary team also varies depending upon the needs

1