Symptom Management in the Older Adult: 2023 Update

Augustin Joseph; Balakrishna Vemula; Thomas J Smith

doi:10.1016/j.cger.2023.04.006

Symptom Management in the Older Adult: 2023 Update

Clin Geriatr Med. 2023 Aug;39(3):449-463. doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2023.04.006. Epub 2023 May 8.

Authors

Augustin Joseph¹, Balakrishna Vemula², Thomas J Smith³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 600 North Wolfe Street, Blalock 359, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. Electronic address: ajosep30@jhmi.edu.
² Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 600 North Wolfe Street, Blalock 359, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 600 North Wolfe Street, Blalock 359, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
³ Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 600 North Wolfe Street, Blalock 359, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 600 North Wolfe Street, Blalock 359, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.

PMID: 37385696
DOI: 10.1016/j.cger.2023.04.006

Abstract

In the older adult with a serious illness, the goal of palliative medicine and symptom management is to optimize quality of life. Frailty has become an overarching finding in many older adults with serious illness. Symptom management options need to be considered in the lens of increasing frailty along an illness trajectory. Here, the authors emphasize literature updates and best practices for the most common symptoms experienced by the older adult with a serious illness.

Keywords: Constipation; Depression; Frailty; Geriatric; Nausea; Opioid; Pain; Palliative.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Aged
Frailty* / diagnosis
Frailty* / therapy
Humans
Palliative Care
Quality of Life