Clinical manifestations. Failure to thrive in the elderly.

1. Failure to thrive (FTT) is a diagnosis used with increasing frequency in the acute care setting. The purpose of this study was to determine how the diagnosis of FTT was being applied to the geriatric population. 2. FTT was used in the study population to describe the general deterioration seen in patients with chronic or incurable illnesses. Many patients were near the terminal stage. The diagnosis was not used specifically for the geriatric population; there was a lack of specificity in the diagnosis and treatment of FTT. 3. Common complaints of patients diagnosed as FTT included ADL changes, weight loss, and anorexia. Nursing care can significantly contribute to the management of symptoms and the prevention of complications.