Maintaining ability in the elderly.

Elderly people frequently visit their family physician, who has the opportunity to maximize their ability. In order to do so, it is important to recognize that elderly patients who have a particular disease usually present with atypical symptoms, that there is a limited correlation between disability and disease in the elderly, and that their diseases are under-reported. A knowledge of the physiological changes of aging is essential. With judicious medical treatment, an emphasis on prevention, rehabilitation and cardiorespiratory fitness, the family physician can do much to improve elderly patients' quality of life.