What differences have you found between caring for paediatric and geriatric patients?

"Through my apprenticeship, I've found that often paediatric patients are very young and can't always communicate how they feel properly, especially when it relates to pain. Caring for paediatric patients requires good communication skills and attentiveness, including being diligent in looking for nonverbal cues, especially when identifying if a patient is experiencing pain or discomfort. Children tend to have shorter attention spans than older adults, so it's important to help them stay engaged and on task. Additionally, you work more directly with family members when treating pediatric patients, so you must have strong interpersonal skills."

"Over the last five years, I've worked with all age groups, including pediatric and geriatric patients. Through that experience, I learned that paediatrics are a more vulnerable patient group because they can't always properly communicate their struggles or the severity of their pain. Often, pediatric patients are reluctant to follow all of the directions that some therapies entail, so they require more patience and persuasion sometimes than working with the geriatric population. For example, they don't always understand why you're asking them to do something or they dislike doing a task repetitively, so they may not be as interested. The elderly typically experience a much different range of health issues and diseases than peds, requiring a totally different treatment plan."