Palliative Care in the Elderly

Palliative Care in the Elderly: Summary Palliative medicine is the study and management of patients with active. far advanced disease for whom the prognosis is limited and focus of care is quality of life. It is increasingly recognised that principles of palliative care are universal, and should be applied in many different disease conditions. Palliative medicine and geriatric medicine both emphasize holistic care. with several features in common. Cancer is a prevalent disease in the elderly, which especially requires a palliative approach. Cancer symptoms are more difficult to manage in the elderly, and have been undertreated. Good palliation of symptoms requires comprehensive and multidimensional assessment rather than a. blanket treatment of drugs. Palliative care in the elderly however should not be confined just to cancer. Other incurable diseases such as dementia, neurodegenerative disorders, end stage organ failure are also diseases of the elderly, which will benefit from palliative care. Patients may have palliative care needs in any clinical stage during their incurable illness and require support. The quality of life of elderly with incurable illnesses does not necessarily have to be poor. A wider adoption of palliative care approachfrom all health professionals, closer liaison between primary care, geriatric, palliative care physicians. development of hospital palliative consultative teams, together with specialised units caring for more elderly with greater needs, will help to achieve this goal.