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Geriatric palliative care news

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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.

UK heat risk leaves vulnerable people dangerously exposed

Older people, care home residents and those living in poor-quality housing are facing growing danger from extreme heat, as new research warns that the UK is failing to protect those most at risk. The work is published in ...

How advance directives may affect end-of-life care

Advance directives document patient preferences for future care, including end-of-life. An analysis in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has found that older patients with an advance directive that had been uploaded ...

Routine coastal flooding could become deadly for older adults

Routine high-tide flooding in coastal communities could lead to thousands of deaths among older adults by the end of the century, according to a new study co-authored by Florida State University researcher Mathew Hauer. Published ...

Heavy caring responsibilities may hasten cognitive decline

Onerous caring responsibilities reduce brain function for people aged 50 and over, whereas light caring duties can actually be beneficial to middle-aged and older people's mental abilities, finds a new study led by University ...

Simple home test predicts mobility decline in older adults

Predicting whether a healthy 45-year-old will struggle to climb stairs or walk a decade later has long been a challenge for geriatric medicine. Now, a study published in JMIR Aging, reveals that early mobility decline can ...

Annual frailty screening recommended for the over 65s

A new framework to prevent and manage frailty in older Australians has been developed in a national project led by University of Queensland researchers. The Australian Consensus Statements are recommendations designed in ...

In older adults, adding whey protein doesn't make more muscle

Packing in the protein is all the rage. From cereal to pasta to nacho chips and more, food manufacturers are trying to get as much of the stuff into their products as possible, and one of the benefits they tout is that protein ...

Why supplements aren't a shortcut to healthy aging

The use of dietary supplements has increased sharply in recent years. Vitamins, minerals and other nutritional products are often marketed as simple ways to boost energy, support immunity, protect brain health or even promote ...

Research reshapes the complexity of aging

A study highlighting key advances in the complexity of aging has been published in Science Advances. The work is titled "The longevity effects of reduced IGF-1 signaling depend on the stability of the mitochondrial genome."

Aging well in a digital world

As Australia and the world face rapidly aging populations, technology is increasingly promoted as the answer to helping older people live safely, independently and well—but experts warn that innovation alone is not enough.