Clinical concerns: AIDS in the elderly

1. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the elderly accounts for 10% of all AIDS cases; although blood transfusion is thought to be the most likely mode of transmission in the elderly, AIDS acquired through sexual contact should not be overlooked. 2. Diagnosing AIDS in the elderly is a major problem; perhaps the biggest problem in diagnosing AIDS in elders is that many clinicians fail to recognize AIDS as a possibility. 3. The nursing implications concerning AIDS in the elderly are endless. Practitioners, educators, and researchers can have a major impact in combating this problem.