Alistair Ritch

The chronicle of care of older people in Britainstretches back hundreds of years.  In those early days, illness would be managed within the family, perhaps with aid from local herbalists.  When available, almshouses provided free or subsidised housing for frail elderly.

It is widely assumed that geriatric medicine was an invention of the twentieth century. However, from the time of Hippocrates, there has been interest in the prolongation of the lifespan, the maintenance of health in old age and age related disease patterns.