My spouse and I are relocating to be closer to family and will need to find a new primary care physician. We are both in our late 70s and interested in getting a geriatrician to oversee our health care. Any suggestions for finding someone?

Choosing a geriatrician as your primary care doctor in your 70s can be beneficial, especially if you experience age-related health problems. But if you are in good health, a primary care doctor with an age-friendly philosophy may be all you need. Here is what you should know.

Who Needs a Geriatrician?

Geriatricians are primary care doctors that have additional specialized training in treating older patients. Those who can typically benefit the most from seeing a geriatrician are seniors age 75 and older with multiple health and age-related concerns such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, incontinence, osteoporosis, cognitive decline, frailty, depression or trouble with balance.

Geriatricians are also highly skilled at addressing medication-related issues. Many seniors take multiple medications at the same time for various health conditions, and because aging bodies often absorb and metabolize drugs differently than younger adults, unique side effects and drug interactions are not uncommon. A geriatrician will evaluate and monitor your medications to be sure they are not affecting you in a harmful way.

Geriatricians can also help patients and their families in assessing long-term care needs, like how long they can remain in their own homes safely without assistance and what type of services may be necessary when they do need extra help. Some geriatric practices also offer care coordination or social work support, which can be especially helpful for long-term planning.

Unfortunately, there is a shortage of geriatricians in the U.S., which may make it difficult to find one. To help you locate one in your new area, use Medicare’s online find and compare search tool. Just go to Medicare.gov/care-compare and click on “Doctors & Clinicians” and type in your location, then type in “geriatric medicine” in the “Name or Keyword” box. You can also get this information by calling Medicare at 800-633-4227. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, contact your plan for a list of in-network geriatricians in your new area.

It is important to keep in mind that locating a geriatrician does not guarantee you will be accepted as a patient. Many doctors already have a full patient roster and do not accept any new patients. You will need to call each individual doctor’s office to find out. If a waitlist is available, ask to be added and request recommendations for other age-friendly providers in the meantime.

Age-Friendly PCPs

If you and your spouse are in relatively good health or if you are unable to find a geriatrician in your new area, a primary care physician (PCP) that practices age-friendly care would also be a viable choice.

To search for new PCPs, use the previously listed Medicare tools. Once you locate a few, call their office and ask if they are accepting new patients and if they practice the 4Ms of age friendly care, which include: What Matters (your goals and priorities), Medication safety and appropriateness, Mentation (cognition and mood), and Mobility (ways to keep you moving). If you find it hard to get into a new practice, you might even consider looking for a geriatric nurse practitioner or an advanced practice registered nurse to serve as your PCP.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living” book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization’s official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.