An article published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine says that it's important for physicians to ask geriatric patients about firearms.
According to researchers, geriatric patients are at a greater risk for gun-related fatalities due to higher rates of memory problems, delusions, dementia and depression. Statistics from the CDC show that people 65 and older are somewhat more likely to commit suicide than the population as a whole and are 21 percent more likely to use a firearm to commit suicide, according to a report from Medscape.
Physicians may suggest to families of at-risk patients that they should develop a plan to separate the patient and the firearms. If the physician suspects that not doing so would be neglectful, he or she may inform the authorities.
While some believe that owning a firearm is in not pertinent to health-related concerns, the researchers of this study suggest that questions about firearms should become a routine part of geriatric checkups.