CLEVELAND -- Many people spend countless hours looking for the right medical care for their parents.

In this week's Successful Aging report, NewsChannel5 reported on how to find a doctor who specializes in their needs.

Even though Eileen Wulf, 90, is in the hospital, she has the right kind of attitude. That's because she knows her doctor is there for her and has been since she was in her 60s.

Dr. Tina Fisher is a geriatrician at University Hospitals, specializing in the care of senior patients, and that means the world to Wulf's daughter, Rhonda Griffin.

"She does address everything and takes care of her specifically because she is elderly and never lets anything go that might get better on a younger person," Griffin said. "She stays on top of everything."

Older adults, in general, take more time to evaluate -- time that most general practitioners just don't have.

But in a geriatrician's office, a team complete with a nurse, a doctor, and a social worker diagnose and treat any illness. That team also includes people who know the patients best.

"We always try to involve family members or neighbors or whoever else is around them in their community to get history and insight from them," Fisher said. "How they take care of themselves -- are they able to bathe, dress, to eat, as well as can they pay their bills or drive -- so there's a lot of functional things that we focus on."

How does a person know when his or her parent should be referred to a geriatric specialist?

A general practitioner can help determine that, but it's also up to children to decide when they want their parents to have specialized care.

"Now that my father's gone and I'm pretty much watching over Mom, it makes me feel better to know that I have a place to bring her," Griffin said. "That's what family's all about, I guess."

For more information on the "Successful Aging Initiative" or available resources, write NewsChannel5, 3001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44114, or log onto our special section on aging.