This module complements the first of a series of six South African Geriatric Society (SAGS) masterclasses focused on the ‘Geriatric Giants’: 1: Iatrogenesis, 2: Incontinence, 3: Impaired cognition, 4: Instability, 5: Immobility and frailty, and 6: Failing senses.

You will learn:

• Aspects of the physiology of ageing
• The relationships between multimorbidity, polypharmacy and commonly occurring adverse drug events in older patients
• Risks associated with polypharmacy and practical approaches to balancing benefit and harm
• Predictors of multimorbidity and its effects
• Principles of geriatric preventative medicine.

Dr India Butler
Physician & Geriatrician
Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre
Johannesburg

Dr India Butler is one of very few registered Geriatricians in South Africa. She qualified with her MBChB at the University of Cape Town in 2004 and achieved her Fellowship of the College of Physicians in 2011 at the University of the Witwatersrand. Dr Butler then spent a further 2 years training as a Sub-specialist Geriatrician with the assistance of a Discovery Foundation Award, dividing her training between Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre and Helen Joseph Hospital – the only training sites in Gauteng. She has published scientific articles on delirium and osteoporosis among other topics.

Dr Kathleen Ross
Specialist Geriatrician
Specialist Geriatric & Memory Clinic
Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital
Cape Town

Dr Kathleen Ross is a Specialist Geriatrician with an MBChB from Stellenbosch University (1995), FCP(SA), and a Certificate in Geriatrics (2004). She has been in private practice since 2006, offering expert care for older adults with a focus on holistic and person-centered approaches. With a passion for Geriatric Medicine, she specialises in managing complex multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and cognitive impairments, including dementias. Her approach emphasises accurate diagnosis, individualised treatment, and comprehensive support for patients and their families.