Older adults overwhelmingly represent the majority of patients receiving critical care
worldwide. In response to the health care needs of this population, in 1992 Fulmer
andWalker published their groundbreaking book on critical care nursing of the elderly;
one of the first of its kind. Seventeen years later, the need for a clinical reference for
improving the care of older adults with critical illness is even more important. At the
beginning of the 21st century, in most developed countries we find ourselves amid
an explosion of older people, especially the old-old. With greater longevity, more
people are growing older and dealing with chronic health conditions, many with
multiple comorbid conditions, which creates a unique set of challenges as much for
the care provided as for the complexity of that care. Nurses and associated health
professionals must consider the usual physiologic changes that accompany aging, the
frequent comorbid conditions that exist in this population, the interaction among
these factors, and the treatment provided.