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Nursing care of the Oldest Old Those persons who are 85 years old and older are unique individuals, as have lived through multiple wars, pestilences, economic upheavals, and natural disasters. There are many misunderstandings and inaccurate assumptions about the oldest old. Research describing the oldest old is just beginning. Like younger persons, the oldest old do have concerns and fears as they age. They fear that they may outlive their families and friends and thus become lonely. They worry about their children. They are fearful of being poorly healthy, making them dependent or even sick enough to be institutionalized. What they dread is the thought of going to a nursing home. Their overriding concern is that they have inadequate finances to maintain themselves during their lengthy survival. Thus, not only are the oldest old very heterogeneous in personality and lifestyle, their needs are also very diverse and often unpredictable. Nowadays, there have been many ethical, legal, social and economic issues concerning those oldest old. What is to be discussed here is to present an overview of what we do know about the oldest old from a health standpoint, and suggest ways nurses can translate this knowledge into practice in order to provide “best practices” in the clinical care of the oldest old. The oldest old are becoming the fastest growing segment of our society, which is the significant implication for nurses. Nurses will have to adjust their thinking about just who the elderly are. Common nursing practices used for the young-old (ages 60-75) and middle old (ages 75-85) may not be appropriate for the oldest old. Nurses caring for the oldest old should focus on providing the best care and comfort for the “death near” and the “actively dying” oldest old in as much accordance with directives and wish as is known for the individual. Nurses need to dispel the myth that the oldest old are all bedridden, demented, institutionalized, and totally dependent upon others to