ABSTRACT
The American population is getting older rapidly due to the beginning of the 77 million baby boomers turning 65 starting in 2011.1,2 The proportion of older persons admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) is estimated to be between 25% and 50% and is likely to grow as a result of the increasing age of the U.S. population. This is particularly important because there seems to be a pattern of providing less life-sustaining treatment to patients aged 80 years and older. It has been suggested that long-term acute care hospitalization, as opposed to ICU placement, is more cost effective and survival rates are similar.3-5
Among hospitalized patients, the elderly constitute a majority of nutrition support recipients and it is therefore essential to address their specic needs. However, there is a paucity of quality research concerning optimal nutrition support of critically ill older persons. Much of the current standards of care have been extrapolated from younger and middle-aged adults.
