Dr. Marjory Warren: The Mother of Geriatrics

Abstract

Marjory Warren (1897 - 1960) was a person with innovation and dynamism. Her work was missionary and her proposals visionary. She was a surgeon to start with, and yet she created geriatrics out of medicine. She advocated practising geriatrics as a specialist, and yet she emphasized the importance of generalist training. She argued for having separate wards with environment and caring process appropriate for elderly patients, but she insisted that these wards should be an integral part of a general hospital with equal access to diagnostic and therapeutic facilities. She was thankful that she was not distracted by fame during her early endeavours so that she could quietly build up this special branch of medicine. Her concern for human life, not only for the unwanted and unfittest elderly patients but also for her passengers, ended up in her tragic death in a car accident at the age of 62. Her work continues to influence and inspire those who share her conviction that elderly people deserve the best care.