Before the assessment begins, gather the health history by questioning the patient or the family members of the patient if need be. The information gathered would help to focus on particular areas during the examination. Some of the major elements of a comprehensive health assessment are as follows:
Demographic data - geriatric practitioners rely heavily on getting objective information. Practitioners sometimes find it difficult to obtain past information especially when it is subject to the insufficient memory of patients with defective cognition or the biased interpretation of people close to the patients.
Social history – the social evaluation covers areas of information starting from a patient’s level of education to their views on terminal care. Many physicians often ask their patients about personal behaviors that may place them at risk of