Abstract
This chapter discusses the ethical and legal challenges faced by
anesthesiologists in geriatric anesthesia due to medical, economic, and social issues.
Anesthesiologists must exhibit patience, understanding, and compassion in order to
overcome multiple challenges. It is also imperative that they stay up-to-date on the
issues facing this particular population in order to adequately address them efficiently
through collaborative communication and active involvement in patient care.
Keywords: Anesthesia, Advanced directive, Anesthesiologist, Autonomy, Consent, Competency, Decision-making capacity, Ethics, Geriatrics, Legal, Living will, Medical decisions, Medical futility, POLST, Palliative care, Power of attorney, Surrogate decision-making, Voluntary.