The national conversation around gun safety rarely focuses on those aged 65 and older鈥攖he
population with the highest rates of gun ownership, says Katherine Galluzzi, DO, (right) professor and chair of geriatrics at 黑料传送门. To that end, she and Ilene Warner-Maron, PhD, (below) clinical assistant professor,
psychology, recently co-authored an article in the that explores gun safety among Baby Boomers and older adults.
Existing research shows that roughly 27 percent of people 65 and older own one or more firearms, and 37 percent live in a home with a firearm present. In addition to high rates of gun ownership, this group is also at increased risk for age-related dementia, and Drs. Galluzzi and Warner-Maron say this combination could be deadly for an elderly person or their loved one.
They lay out two case studies in the JAOA article to illustrate their point: in the first, an 80-year-old man with Alzheimer鈥檚 shot and killed his caretaker in a state of heightened confusion. In the second, a 72-year-old cancer patient rejected treatment options and committed suicide with his gun.
The authors warn that a lack of policy or mechanisms to address gun safety among the elderly could lead to an increase in suicide and accidental shootings.
鈥淚f you suspect that your elderly parent or loved one is in danger of harming themselves or others while driving, you can file a report with the Department of Motor Vehicles, because it鈥檚 not reasonable to think they can still operate a car,鈥� said Dr. Galluzzi. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 no counterpart for having weapons in the home.鈥�
Red flag laws鈥攚hich allow families and law enforcement to petition a judge for temporary
removal of firearms from a person deemed a danger to themselves or others鈥攁re one
area to explore, said Dr. Galluzzi, but that those laws should be expanded to include
patients with dementia.
In the meantime, Drs. Galluzzi and Warner-Maron say that physicians, particularly primary care doctors, need to be empowered to have the hard conversations about gun ownership with elderly patients and their families.
鈥淧rimary care physicians are truly the front line of this problem, and I would absolutely categorize these conversations as preventive care,鈥� said Dr. Galluzzi.
She noted that conversations can occur during a patient鈥檚 鈥淲elcome to Medicare鈥� physical exam, which occurs during the first 12 months a patient is enrolled in Medicare Part B, or during the routine Annual Wellness Visit. In the article, the authors cite a checklist that physicians can use when having those conversations.
Dr. Galluzzi added that families and loved ones also need to start the conversation with their loved one as soon as possible, and to make a plan to ensure the safety of their loved ones is secured.
鈥淭hese are hard conversations to have鈥攚hether it鈥檚 taking the car keys away or taking a gun away,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut having a plan in place sooner rather than later makes it easier to act in a loved one鈥檚 best interest when he or she is no longer able to do it themselves.鈥�
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) represents more than 137,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and osteopathic medical students; promotes public health; encourages scientific research; serves as the primary certifying body for DOs; and is the accrediting agency for osteopathic medical schools.
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Established in 1899, 黑料传送门 has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a 鈥渨hole person鈥� approach to care鈥攖reating people, not just symptoms. 黑料传送门, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (黑料传送门, 黑料传送门 Georgia and 黑料传送门 South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. 黑料传送门 students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, 黑料传送门 provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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