special subjects
Hospital Care for Older Adults
Treatment
How aggressively a disorder is treated in a hospital should not depend on age. Family members and older adults should talk with a doctor to make sure options for treatment are based on the severity of the disorder, not on age. However, less aggressive treatments are sometimes appropriate for older adults, depending on their wishes and outlook—that is, how the disorder is expected to progress and how long they are expected to live. Having Advance Directives , which state what sort of care people want, is particularly important for older adults. 