The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Apr 2019
ReviewAging and Postintensive Care Syndrome- Family: A Critical Need for Geriatric Psychiatry.
Postintensive care syndrome-family (PICS-F) describes the psychological symptoms that affect the family members of patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) or recently discharged from the ICU. Geriatric psychiatrists should be concerned about PICS-F for several reasons. First, ICU hospitalization in older adults is associated with higher rates of cognitive and physical impairment compared with older adults hospitalized in non-ICU settings or dwelling in the community. ⋯ A deeper understanding of how to care for PICS and PICS-F may inform clinical practice for other geriatric populations with multimorbidity and their caregivers. Geriatric psychiatrists may play a key role in delivering coordinated care for PICS-F by facilitating timely diagnosis and interdisciplinary collaboration, advocating for the healthcare needs of family members suffering from PICS-F, and leading efforts within healthcare systems to increase awareness and treatment of PICS-F. This clinical review will appraise the current literature about the impact of critical illness on the family members of ICU survivors and identify crucial gaps in our knowledge about PICS-F among aging patients and caregivers.