Mark Yates is a geriatrician in Ballarat, Victoria and Associate Professor at Deakin University. He is Clinical Lead for Safer Care Victoria’s Age Friendly Health Services 4Ms Program, lead geriatrician in the Grampians Region Cognitive Dementia and Memory Service CDAMS and is involved in many research projects.

Mark takes us into the intriguing world of geriatrics, a field dedicated to addressing the complex needs of older adults with multiple health conditions. Mark emphasises the critical nature of timely diagnosis in geriatrics, particularly when cognitive changes begin to interfere with daily life. In his practice, he approaches the question of whether someone has dementia with a selective focus, addressing it only when specifically asked. He investigates through the lens of the "four Ds"—Delirium, Depression, Drugs, or Dementia—carefu ...