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Geriatric palliative care news
Results from COSMOS trial reveals more than 75% of older adults have used complementary therapies
A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham suggests that complementary health approaches (CHA)—including massage, yoga, tai chi, herbal products, acupuncture, spiritual practices, cannabis and psychedelics—are ...
Apr 24, 2026
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Working outside the home protected mental health for older adults during the pandemic, finds study
New research using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) reveals that employment stability and in-person work buffered older adults against depression during the first year of COVID-19. Older adults who ...
Apr 23, 2026
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A free shower is the least older people can expect. But aged care funding misses one key point
This week, we learned older people in home-based aged care will no longer have to pay out-of-pocket for showering, dressing and continence care.
Apr 23, 2026
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Anemia in adults 60 and older linked to 66% higher dementia risk
A new study has found that the effects of anemia—a condition caused by a lack of hemoglobin needed to carry oxygen to organs and tissues—may stretch beyond fatigue, shortness of breath, and pale skin. They reach into the ...
A hidden DNA region helps drive frailty, exposing brain and immune links that reshape aging risk
Researchers at McMaster University have identified, for the first time, a novel region of DNA and two associated genes connected to frailty, offering neurological and immune-related insights that might help explain why some ...
Apr 22, 2026
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How older adults rise from a chair can influence their quality of life, large study reports
How easily older adults can stand up from a chair may be a telling indicator of their overall quality of life. If they report difficulty rising to their feet after prolonged sitting, they are more likely to experience mental ...
Apr 22, 2026
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Care by name, but not by nature: Study finds government-funded home care is failing many older Australians
Many older Australians receiving government-funded home care struggle to get the support they need to live well at home, according to new research that reveals the daily challenges faced by a growing part of the community. ...
Apr 22, 2026
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Social support can help older adults stay independent despite cognitive decline
Most older adults maintain stable cognitive functioning, independence and healthy social lives as they age, according to a new longitudinal study from Karolinska Institutet. The findings also show that stronger social support ...
Apr 21, 2026
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Greater optimism tied to 15% lower dementia risk over 14 years
The more optimistic a person is, the lower their risk of developing dementia, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The research, published April 8 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics ...
Apr 16, 2026
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Loneliness highest among older Australians without partners or children
As Australia's population ages and loneliness becomes a growing public health concern, new research from Monash University has found that older Australians without close family ties face significantly higher rates of loneliness. ...
Apr 16, 2026
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After the ICU, some older adults less likely to receive home-based rehabilitation
Home is often where recovery begins after being hospitalized for a serious illness. But for some people, it may also be where gaps in care arise. In a recent study, Yale School of Medicine's Snigdha Jain, MD, MHS, and colleagues ...
Apr 15, 2026
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Hospital delirium a 'red flag' for severe health decline
A single episode of delirium—a state of confusion and agitation—in hospitalized older adults is a significant risk factor for other serious health complications including fractures, stroke and sepsis, a University of Queensland ...
Apr 14, 2026
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Expanding access to palliative care for patients with advanced liver disease
Advanced liver disease (ALD) occurs when significant scarring causes the liver to lose function. Patients with ALD often have serious health challenges but have limited access to palliative care that could improve their quality ...
Apr 13, 2026
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Should people over 75 continue colonoscopies?
The American Cancer Society recommends screening for colorectal cancer in adults beginning at age 45 and continuing through age 75. However, adults over the age of 75 with a history of precancerous polyps—also known as adenomas—are ...
Apr 10, 2026
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Unions play key role in keeping direct care workers in the workforce, suggests study
Unionization and working for a public employer are associated with significantly lower turnover among direct care workers (DCW), a group that provides daily care for older adults and those who are disabled and unable to care ...
Apr 8, 2026
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Study outlines how to embed dementia training in medical degrees
Australia's population is projected to age over the next 40 years and the number of centenarians is expected to increase six-fold. The number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, and the number of citizens ...
Apr 8, 2026
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Social support, sleep and pain management linked to mental health in later life
Older Canadians who are socially connected, physically healthy, and spiritually engaged are significantly more likely to experience complete mental health, according to a new nationally representative study examining adults ...
Apr 8, 2026
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The dark side of music as 'therapy'
A violinist plays in a cancer ward. A playlist loops in the waiting room. A surgeon hums along to the radio mid-operation. We assume, almost without thinking, that music helps. But what if it doesn't—or worse, what if it ...
Apr 7, 2026
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Who should pay for older adults' care? Caregivers answer differently
When it comes to opinions about paying for, and getting access to, care for older adults, direct experience appears to matter a lot, a new University of Michigan study finds. People aged 50 and over who serve as unpaid family ...
Apr 7, 2026
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Examining health and support needs among older informal caregivers
Many older adults in Sweden help care for partners, relatives or friends, but those who provide the most intensive support often face challenges that affect their own health. This is shown in a new doctoral thesis from Karolinska ...
Apr 7, 2026
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Study outlines life-enhancement paths for those in long-term care facilities
A University at Buffalo study of older adults transitioning to long-term care has identified "life-enhancing" activities to counteract loneliness, sadness, and isolation. In the study, published in the Journal of Advanced ...
Apr 6, 2026
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Do genes dictate how lifestyle choices impact aging?
Lifestyle-behavioral factors and socioeconomic status play an important role in shaping healthy aging, but their effects may differ depending on the individual's DNA, according to a new international study led by Adelaide ...
Apr 1, 2026
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New study sheds light on health disparities of bi+ dementia caregivers
Krystal Kittle, assistant professor of community health education in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, has led a new study that sheds light on the community of bi+ (e.g., bisexual, pansexual, queer) dementia ...
Apr 1, 2026
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Adult children's unemployment associated with depression risk of older parents in India
Older adults in India have an almost 12% higher risk of depression when their adult children are unemployed. A new study from Umeå University shows that unemployment among younger generations increases the risk of poor mental ...
Apr 1, 2026
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