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Geriatric palliative care news
Frailty could be key to early dementia diagnosis
Being frail appears to accelerate the onset of dementia, particularly in people who show little or no signs of the disease, a University of Queensland-led study has found. Dr. David Ward from UQ's Frazer Institute said the ...
Jul 22, 2026
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Can AI help doctors have difficult conversations with critically ill patients in end-of-life care?
When a patient is admitted to a hospital emergency room with a life-threatening medical condition, the first order of business is to get that patient to a stable state. After that happens, it is standard medical practice ...
Jul 22, 2026
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People are living longer, but spending more years in poor health
People around the world are living longer than ever before but spending more of those additional years in poor health, according to a new Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study published in The Lancet Public Health.
Jul 21, 2026
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Motherhood may reduce late-life frailty rather than raise it, companion dog model suggests
Frailty threatens older individuals because it increases their vulnerability to detrimental health outcomes, such as falls, longer hospitalizations or even shortened life expectancy. Biogerontologists are actively exploring ...
Jul 21, 2026
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Elderly people living at home have less control, not more
Today, most older people with disabilities receive help at home, and there are limited places in nursing homes. At the same time, politicians claim that living at home provides independence and control over everyday life.
Jul 21, 2026
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What does resilience show about healthy aging after trauma?
A landmark study that started in 2021 to learn about wartime trauma among Vietnamese Americans has received an additional $13.3 in funding to delve deeper into how trauma affects aging and brain health.
Jul 19, 2026
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Researchers estimate the upper limit of human lifespan determined by somatic mutations
Researchers from Skoltech and co-authors from AIRI have, for the first time, quantitatively assessed how somatic mutations—random DNA changes that accumulate in cells with age—limit the maximum human lifespan. The work was ...
Jul 16, 2026
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Research calls for Japan to redesign health and diplomacy by 2040
Two papers by researchers and policy practitioners provide evidence-based suggestions to help Japan's health system continue to flourish, even as its population rapidly ages.
Jul 16, 2026
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High-risk emergency surgery costs older adults about a month of time at home, study finds
Older adults who undergo high-risk emergency general surgery spend significantly fewer days living independently at home after surgery than those undergoing lower-risk procedures, according to a study published in the Journal ...
Jul 15, 2026
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Cannabis-derived treatment eases agitation in hospice-eligible dementia patients, trial finds
In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, U.S. researchers found that people with agitation and dementia in late life who took a special medical formulation of two active ingredients found in marijuana—THC and CBD—had significantly ...
Jul 14, 2026
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Worried about your aging parents? Welcome to the caregiving club
One in 10 Americans say they are a caregiver for a parent 65 or older, according to 2025 Pew research. And many people in the sandwich generation—those who have both children and aging parents—start their caregiving journeys ...
Jul 14, 2026
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Most Americans prefer to die at home, but the US health care system often prevents it
Ask people what they want at the end of their lives, and overwhelmingly the answers will revolve around comfort, dignity and time at home with loved ones.
Jul 14, 2026
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Unpaid caregivers shoulder more dementia costs than health systems in high-income Europe
Researchers found that 58% of total dementia-related costs are linked to unpaid care provided by family members, friends and other informal caregivers, highlighting the substantial burden of dementia beyond health care systems ...
Jul 14, 2026
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A new option for long-term care costs
An estimated 70% of Americans will need long-term care at some point in their lives, but "they haven't planned for it or saved for it," said Cathleen MacCaul, advocacy director for AARP Washington State, which supported the ...
Jul 13, 2026
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Expert urges redesign for aged care systems
Experts are calling for a major overhaul of health and aged care systems to accommodate rising numbers of older people.
Jul 13, 2026
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Economic evaluation supports prophylactic naldemedine for opioid-induced constipation in cancer palliative care
Although opioids remain indispensable for pain relief in patients with advanced cancer, their use frequently results in OIC, which can substantially reduce quality of life and, in some cases, compromise the continuation of ...
Jul 11, 2026
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Research confirms safety in voluntary assisted dying
New research demonstrates that the Victorian model for oral self-administration of voluntary assisted dying (VAD) medication is safe and effective, providing the largest global experience of patient outcomes.
Jul 10, 2026
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Study explores the emotional burden of being a family caregiver
One in four Canadians is a caregiver—often taking on the role overnight, with little time to prepare for what comes next. Sharon Tonner-Clarkson, a patient family partner (PFP) at Unity Health Toronto, knows that reality ...
Jul 9, 2026
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Geriatric patients can independently manage appropriately-designed digital nutrition apps, study shows
In an era where digital health applications are booming, older adults, particularly those facing the physical and psychological toll of post-acute rehabilitation, are frequently left out of the equation because of assumptions ...
Jul 9, 2026
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Simple assessment tools are accurate in predicting older adults' health
Several tools are currently used to assess the health of older people and their risk of future health problems, but it is unclear which perform best. A new study published in BMC Medicine compares seven widely used geriatric ...
Jul 9, 2026
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What do Sardinia's Blue Zone elders do differently that helps them age so well physically and mentally?
People are living longer than they did at the turn of the 20th century, but living well into old age depends on more than a healthy lifestyle. Scientists say it is also shaped by how we think, adapt and connect with others.
Lower diversity and poorer function of gut bacteria linked to frailty in older women
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have identified clear links between the composition of gut bacteria and frailty in older women. In cases of high frailty, with an increased risk of illness and death, gut bacterial ...
Jul 8, 2026
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Sleep problems in dementia care are linked more to emotional well-being than fear of falling
While fear of falling has long been linked to poor sleep among older adults, new research from George Mason University suggests that emotional well-being may be an even stronger predictor of sleep quality for people with ...
Jul 8, 2026
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Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program may lead to bone problems
The new Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program offers broader, more affordable access to weight loss drugs to address the growing obesity crisis. But there's a catch when it comes to bone health.
Jul 7, 2026
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What death doulas can teach us about dying well without religion
In most Western societies, death has always been the church's job. Nearly everyone wanted last rites, deathbed prayers and a faith leader at their bedside. But for a growing number of people, that template for dying is no ...
Jul 7, 2026
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