Special Needs of Older Adults Undergoing Surgery

Abstract

During the past century, life expectancy in the United States has increased as a result of improved sanitation, development of vaccines and treatments for childhood diseases, and vast improvements in health care and disease prevention. Older adults are at higher risk than younger individuals for complications during and after surgery. Carefully planned, effective nursing care during the perioperative period will help reduce surgical morbidity in older adults. Age-specific nursing care techniques that are provided during the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases of a surgical experience are discussed in this article, with a particular focus on how to manage pain and prevent infection.