Geriatric Care
Thoughtful primary care for older adults.
Geriatric care at Finesse Primary Care supports the health, independence and priorities of older adults. We bring medication review, preventive care and management of long-term conditions into one ongoing plan.
Our senior health care also considers mobility, memory, mood and the support you need at home. Family members and caregivers are welcome to participate in appointments when you wish.
Fewer medications, reviewed more often
By the time many adults reach their seventies they are taking medications prescribed by several different physicians over many years, and no one has looked at the whole list together. We do. A structured medication review asks a question that rarely gets asked: is each of these still earning its place? Reducing the number of drugs a patient takes, where it is safe to do so, is one of the most effective interventions in geriatric medicine — it lowers the risk of falls, confusion, kidney injury and dangerous interactions.
Falls, memory and the things patients do not volunteer
Patients rarely mention a near-fall, a missed word, or a growing reluctance to leave the house, because none of it feels like a medical problem. All three are. We screen for gait and balance, cognition, mood, vision, hearing, continence and nutrition, because each one is treatable and each one, left alone, costs independence. Low mood and isolation in later life are not an inevitable part of ageing, and we treat them as seriously as any other diagnosis — see Mental & Behavioral Health.
Care that stays joined up
Most of our older patients are managing several conditions at once. Because one physician oversees all of them, your blood pressure, blood sugar, kidney function and cholesterol are weighed against each other rather than treated in isolation — through our chronic disease management, hypertension care and diabetes care. Acute illness is seen quickly in the same office under Acute & Urgent Care, and our notes on daily health and wellness cover the strength, balance and sleep habits that protect independence most.
Authoritative background reading: the National Institute on Aging, the CDC on older adult fall prevention, and Medicare on yearly wellness visits.
Accepting new patients
Dr. Tarek Moqattash and Dr. Leonardo Moqattash are board-certified in internal medicine and see adults at our Apple Valley and Rancho Cucamonga offices, Monday to Friday — request an appointment.
Medicare annual wellness visits
A Medicare Annual Wellness Visit focuses on a personalized prevention plan, with a review of your history, medications and health risks. It is different from a routine physical exam. Eligibility and coverage follow Medicare rules; additional tests or services may involve costs. Read about Medicare wellness visit coverage and our Preventive & Wellness Care.
Managing several conditions at once
Diabetes, blood pressure, heart disease, and arthritis rarely arrive alone, and the treatment for one can worsen another. We manage them together rather than as separate problems, and we think about what matters to you, such as staying in your own home, rather than only the numbers. See our chronic disease management services.
Medication review
This is the most valuable half hour in geriatric medicine. Many older adults take medications started years ago for reasons that no longer apply, and some combinations cause the very symptoms they get blamed for, including dizziness, confusion, and falls. We review everything you take, supplements included, and stop what is no longer helping.
Memory and falls
We screen for memory changes and assess fall risk, which together account for most of what costs older adults their independence. When screening suggests something further, we arrange the right evaluation and refer to neurology, physical therapy, or geriatric specialists. The National Institute on Aging has resources for patients and families.
Hospital care by your own doctor
Both of our physicians hold privileges at Providence St. Mary Medical Center, Victor Valley Global Medical Center, and Desert Valley Hospital. If you are admitted, your own doctor is involved, someone who knows your history rather than reading it for the first time. For older patients this matters more than almost anything else on this page.
Caring for a parent?
Family members are welcome at appointments. Call (760) 906-9362 or request an appointment. Apple Valley and Rancho Cucamonga, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
