Surgery can be hard on older adults, resulting in serious complications and death far more often than in younger patients. But many seniors aren’t adequately prepared for the risks they might face.
Innovative hospitals such as Duke University Medical Center, the University of California–San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center, and Michigan Medicine are working to change that. In the weeks leading up to surgery, they prescribe exercise to seniors, make sure they’re eating healthy foods, and try to minimize anxiety and stress, among other initiatives.
