Caregiving: The Unexpected Career

Dr. Richard W. Lindsay speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville Wednesday.

How many Alzheimer’s caregivers are there in Virginia? How much does the care-giving role cost the female caregiver? What percent of the median household income for people over 65 in Charlottesville does a year in the nursing home represent? These and many more questions are answered by Dr. Richard Lindsay in this interesting podcast on geriatric care.

Richard W. Lindsay, M. D., Emeritus Professor of Internal Medicine and Family Practice and former head of the Section of Geriatric Medicine, University of Virginia Health Science Center, grew up in Upstate New York, where his father was a family physician. He attended Cornell University and New York Medical College from which he received his M.D. degree and where he was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. Following an internship at Buffalo General Hospital in Buffalo, NY, Dr. Lindsay practiced briefly with his father in Old Forge, NY, and then completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia Hospital. Following active duty as a Major in the US Army Medical Corps, in 1969 he joined the faculty of the Department of Internal Medicine at UVA.

In his first faculty responsibility Dr. Lindsay developed and served as acting chairman of the Department of Family Practice. Following that, he was awarded one of the seven original Geriatric Medicine Academic Awards from the National Institute of Aging and developed the geriatric curriculum fellowship program and continuing education efforts at UVA. He served as head of the Division and Section of Geriatrics from 1977 until his retirement in 1999. During this time he had an active practice of geriatric medicine involving all levels of geriatric care.

In 1985 and 1986 Dr. Lindsay served as president of the American Geriatric Society and then as chairman of its Board of Directors. He served as a member of the Governor’s Advisory Board on Aging under five different governors and was its chairman under Governor Allen. He was recently appointed to the Commonwealth Council on Aging and just completed a two year term as its chairman. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of JABA. He served for five years on the Board of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia. He also serves on the Board of the Senior Navigator Program. Dr. Lindsay was the recipient of the Humanitarian Award from the Charlottesville/Albemarle Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Chapter. In 2000 he received the Geriatrician of the Year award from the Virginia Geriatric Society. The recipient of numerous teaching awards, Dr. Lindsay received the 1990 Adelle F. Robertson Award for outstanding efforts in continuing education from UVA. The Virginia Association of Nonprofit Homes for the Aging bestowed upon Dr. Lindsay their Distinguished Service Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the people of Virginia (especially the elderly) that he has made throughout his career through educational programs, advocacy, and research.

Dr. Lindsay is a champion skier, plays the trumpet, and loves to fly-fish. He is also recognized for his work in the field of aviation photography. He plays a wicked game of tennis, and is a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the Cavaliers. He has three grown children and two grandchildren.

Dr. Lindsay spoke at the Wednesday, February 12, 2014 meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia. The meeting was held at the Senior Center in Charlottesville. Following the presentation, questions were taken from the audience. The program was moderated by SSV President Bob McGrath.