Retraining Pediatricians as Geriatricians-Reply

In Reply.—Dr Siegel's reflections on my commentary provide refreshing Perspective from a colleague who has had extensive training in caring for both the young and the old. One of the greatest joys of our professional relationships is that experience and knowledge are so freely shared. I believe Dr Siegel provides unusual insight into the developmental differences between the young and the old.

I agree that elderly adults possess a different perspective of life than do children and adolescents, based on the elderly's extensive life experiences and their level of cognitive function. It is perhaps the profoundness of the transitions and changes and the effects of these profound changes on the individuals and their families that the young and old share. There are major qualitative differences in the nature of their transitions, but the transitions may be equally challenging and disruptive to the individuals in transition and their families. As