Because of the aging of the intensive care unit (ICU) population and an improvement in survival rates after ICU hospitalization, an increasing number of older adults are suffering from long-term impairments because of critical illness, known as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). This article focuses on PICS-related cognitive, psychological, and physical impairments and the impact of ICU hospitalization on families and caregivers. The authors also describe innovative models of care for PICS and what roles geriatric psychiatrists could play in the future of this rapidly growing population.
Keywords: Aging; caregiver stress; cognitive impairment; critical care illness; delirium; intensive care unit; post–intensive care syndrome.
Copyright © 2017 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.