Profile
About Dra. Miriam
With an older patient there is rarely just one problem. There is a long medication list, a memory that is slipping, a recent fall, and a family that does not know where to start. Dr Miriam Karine de Souza de Jesus is a consultant geriatrician and that is exactly where she works: sorting the whole picture instead of treating one symptom in isolation.
She trained as a specialist through the Spanish MIR programme at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, across acute and subacute wards, rehabilitation, outpatient clinics, hospital-at-home and palliative care. She now works as a consultant geriatrician in the psychogeriatrics unit of Hermanas Hospitalarias Barcelona Nord, Hospital Mare de Déu de la Mercè, caring for older adults with dementia, delirium and neurocognitive disorders. She is registered with the Barcelona Medical Council (COMB 53286) and the Medical Council of Ireland (546251).
Before geriatrics she had another professional life that still shows in her consultations: a PhD and an MSc in Health Sciences from the University of São Paulo, ten years coordinating international clinical trials, and a seat on a research ethics committee. That is where her insistence on evidence, and on the patient and family actually understanding the decision, comes from. She also completed a rotation in geriatric oncology at Fundación Jiménez Díaz and is a member of the SEGG and the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG).
What she helps with
- Comprehensive geriatric assessment: medical, functional, cognitive, behavioural and social, in one appointment
- Memory loss, cognitive decline, dementia and delirium
- Frailty, repeated falls and loss of independence
- Medication review and safe deprescribing when the list has grown too long
- Geriatric oncology: whether an older person is likely to tolerate cancer treatment
- Second opinions on reports, diagnoses and care plans
- Guidance for families and carers on care settings and difficult decisions
What an online consultation does not replace
It is not emergency care. Confusion that comes on over hours, a fall with a head injury, chest pain or breathing difficulty need the emergency services. It also does not replace a physical examination where one is needed — she will say so and tell you where to go.
How she works
Book with the medical reports, the full medication list and, if possible, a family member present. She consults in Portuguese, Spanish, English and Catalan.
Qualifications
- Especialista en Geriatría (MIR) — Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona España
- Geriatra Consultora, Unidad de Psicogeriatría — Hermanas Hospitalarias Barcelona Nord, Hospital Mare de Déu de la Mercè
- Rotación externa en Oncogeriatría — Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid
- Licenciada en Medicina y Cirugía — Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC)
- PhD en Ciencias de la Salud — Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de São Paulo
- MSc en Ciencias de la Salud — Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de São Paulo
- Miembro — Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología (SEGG)
- Miembro — International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG)
- Colegiada en el Colegio Oficial de Médicos de Barcelona (COMB n.º 53286)
- Registrada en el Medical Council of Ireland (n.º 546251)
FAQs
What is a comprehensive geriatric assessment and can it be done online?
It is the assessment that looks at everything at once: medical problems, how someone manages day to day, memory and thinking, behaviour and their social situation. Much of it can be done by video using your reports, the medication list and what the patient and family describe. Anything needing a physical examination or in-person tests is flagged at the end, together with a written plan of what to do and in what order.
Can she help with memory loss, cognitive decline or dementia?
Yes. It is her daily work in a psychogeriatrics unit: telling normal forgetfulness apart from mild cognitive impairment, dementia or delirium, guiding which tests are worth doing, and explaining what to expect. She also covers the practical side with families — routines, safety at home, driving, support services and advance planning.
Does she review medication for an older person taking many drugs?
Yes. Send the full list, including over-the-counter medicines and supplements. She checks for duplication, interactions and drugs that are a poor fit in older age, and proposes a safe deprescribing plan to agree with the doctor who normally prescribes.
What is frailty in older adults and why does it matter?
Frailty means reduced reserve when something goes wrong: an infection or a hospital stay that another person would shrug off leaves lasting loss of independence. It is assessed through walking speed, grip strength, weight loss, exhaustion and activity, and knowing it changes real decisions — how intensive a treatment should be, and what rehabilitation is needed.
Does she see older patients with cancer?
Yes. Geriatric oncology asks whether an older person is likely to tolerate the planned chemotherapy, surgery or radiotherapy, and what can be done first to reduce the risk: function, cognition, nutrition, medication and support at home. It complements the oncologist's plan rather than replacing it.
Can a family member or carer join the consultation?
Yes, and in geriatrics it is usually a good idea. With the patient's consent, a relative or carer can join the video call and add the day-to-day detail, which is often the most useful clinical information available. She also takes consultations aimed at guiding the family on care and support.
Where is she registered and which languages does she consult in?
She is registered with the Medical Council of Ireland (546251) and the Barcelona Medical Council (COMB 53286), so she sees patients in both Ireland and Spain. She consults in Portuguese, Spanish, English and Catalan.