Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie
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Demographic change has also caused changes in perioperative intensive care because the proportion of geriatric patients who must undergo surgical procedures is increasing. With the current preoperative assessment instruments, it is still not possible to identify high-risk patients of this collective or to make a reliable prognosis concerning postoperative course. ⋯ The perioperative intensive care treatment of geriatric patients requires the readiness to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration because only with this close dialog can the treatment results be sustained.
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Establishing a trustful therapeutic relationship and reflecting on attitudes and behavior is essential in caring for patients with functional pain syndromes. Hope-disappointment circles are common and can be intensified by unfavorable caregiver behavior. A biopsychosocial, empathetic and coping-oriented attitude has proved to be useful. A motivating communication is recommended that carefully explores the pain and its interactions with psychosocial factors following the three typical phases of accepting complaints, establishing biopsychosocial understanding and developing coping strategies.