Positioning for Geriatric Patients

Special considerations in examining the elderly patient often relate to age-related co-morbidities that may make postioning difficult or the examination uncomfortable. Some of the following recommendations may apply to younger women with disabilities, as well.

Most elderly women can be examined in the dorsal lithotomy position. For some, conditions that limit hip or knee movement, such as arthritis, make the left lateral decubitus position more comfortable. With practice, thorough bimanual and speculum examinations can be done with the patient in position. For bed-bound women, placing an inverted bedpan under the sacrum to elevate the pelvis will facilitate the examination.