When Little Things Add Up: Understanding Complexity in Geriatric Care
Summary: Older adults' health rarely comes down to one clear cause — small changes across the body, mind, daily function, and social situation can build on each other and suddenly tip into a bigger health event. This video explains "emergence theory," a way of understanding how those small, connected changes in an older patient can add up to outcomes that no single test or symptom would have predicted, and why that matters for catching problems early and coordinating care across specialties.