Last update:
Geriatric palliative care news
Dementia could cost US $818 billion in 2026, with unpaid care driving burden
A new USC-led study finds Alzheimer's disease and related dementias will cost the United States an estimated $818 billion this year, driven largely by often-overlooked costs to persons living with dementia and family and ...
6 hours ago
0
0
Hidden medication risks for older Australians in aged care transition revealed
New research has shown concerning patterns of medication use among older Australians transitioning into residential aged care that may increase the risk of medication-related harm, highlighting opportunities to improve medication ...
4 hours ago
0
0
Robots can improve the health of older people, trial shows
A new trial has shown that using telepresence robots to support the well-being and health of older people in their homes can improve physical strength and balance, as well as social interaction and confidence. The work is ...
17 hours ago
0
2
Examining perceived changes in extreme weather among older people
Older people in Austria widely perceive an increase in extreme weather since their childhood. Yet how strongly they notice these changes depends on their social position, where they live and how they relate to environmental ...
20 hours ago
0
6
Vitamin D and calcium supplements may not protect against bone fractures, large new study suggests
For years, many people have taken calcium and vitamin D supplements to help keep their bones strong as they age. Walk into any pharmacy or supermarket and you'll find shelves full of products promising to support bone health, ...
Jun 23, 2026
0
4
How quickly older adults can take a step may predict longevity
Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have found that how quickly an older adult can execute a voluntary step—especially when distracted (concurrently performed cognitive task)—may serve as a valuable ...
Jun 22, 2026
0
10
Pet visits bring 'a small moment of home' to long-term care, study finds
Residents in an Edmonton long-term care home are getting regular visits from therapy dogs this summer, thanks to a pilot project designed by University of Alberta nursing researcher Brittany DeGraves. The project builds on ...
Jun 22, 2026
0
3
Dementia care: Re‑envisioning the role of music
As a certified music therapist, I have observed firsthand the many ways music can bring meaning and beauty into people's lives, even under very difficult circumstances. Much of my clinical work and research has occurred in ...
Jun 20, 2026
0
6
Exercise and protein program may aid recovery in frail seniors after hospitalization
A pilot study suggests that a simple program combining exercise and protein supplementation may help older adults with frailty recover more successfully after hospitalization, with 80% of participants discharged from skilled ...
Jun 18, 2026
0
6
Native Hawaiian adults face mobility challenges earlier in life
Native Hawaiian adults experience mobility limitations—including challenges with agility, gait, balance and fall risk—at significantly higher rates and at younger ages than other major racial and ethnic groups in Hawaiʻi, ...
Jun 17, 2026
0
2
Physical and mental capacity linked to disability before death
For many older adults, aging well means remaining independent—being able to do everyday activities like buying groceries or cooking dinner without help. A new Yale School of Medicine study suggests that changes in mental, ...
Jun 17, 2026
0
3
Are older people with brain diseases more likely to have a traumatic brain injury?
According to a study published in Neurology, the risk for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and certain brain diseases may go in both directions. Studies have shown that having a TBI may increase the risk of developing a stroke, ...
Jun 17, 2026
0
1
Loneliness drives cognitive impairment, can lead to shorter life, study suggests
Some people might not mind spending time alone, but new research with data from 18 countries suggests that older people who struggle with loneliness—rather than strictly being alone—may experience faster mental and physical ...
Jun 16, 2026
0
7
How scientific progress is changing our understanding of the biology of aging
As recently as the mid-20th century, aging was described by Nobel Prize laureate Peter Medawar as "an unsolved problem in biology." Today, scientists can analyze the activity of thousands of genes in individual cells, identify ...
Jun 16, 2026
0
6
At 85 and healthy? Why more medicine may do more harm
When a patient has made it to 85 years old in reasonable health, their instinct—and often their physician's—is to redouble prevention efforts, optimize every number and close every gap. I want to argue the opposite.
Jun 15, 2026
0
11
Report calls for evidence-based strategies to address Alzheimer's-related psychosis
Alzheimer's-Related Psychosis: Interdisciplinary Perspectives for Understanding and Responding to Delusions and Hallucinations"—the latest report in The Gerontological Society of America's Insights & Implications in Gerontology ...
Jun 15, 2026
0
2
Well-timed nudges help care providers to honor the wishes of patients with cancer according to study
New research in the June 2026 issue of Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds that small, targeted prompts delivered to both patients and providers at the right moment can significantly increase the number ...
Jun 15, 2026
0
1
End-of-life care metric tracks how time grows more valuable for terminal cancer patients
A research team at Lund University in Sweden has studied how patients with advanced cancer seek care during the final stages of their lives. By studying their care patterns, the research team has developed a measurement method ...
Jun 13, 2026
0
5
Healthy lifespan cut short by sex-dependent depressive symptoms in older adults
Depression is a serious mental health issue that can rob us of joy—and years of healthy living. While we know depressive symptoms can cut the remaining years of disability-free living (or "healthspan") in older adults, it ...
Jun 12, 2026
0
7
Most Australians with dementia excluded from voluntary assisted dying, study finds
New research from the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) has found that most Australians living with dementia are unlikely to qualify for voluntary assisted dying (VAD) under current laws. Lead author Prof. Kerstin ...
Jun 10, 2026
0
3
Hidden muscle resistance in advanced dementia is involuntary, not refusal, new papers explain
Baycrest researchers and clinicians have contributed to newly published research advancing understanding of paratonia, a common but often underrecognized condition affecting people living with advanced dementia.
Jun 10, 2026
0
3
By September, nearly a third of Americans will live in states with legal aid in dying
Jules Netherland traveled from her home in the Bronx to the New York state Capitol in Albany several times in the past few years, hoping to persuade the legislature to pass a medical aid-in-dying bill, allowing terminally ...
Jun 10, 2026
0
2
ACS Geriatric Surgery Verification hospitals screen nearly all older surgical patients for delirium, study finds
There is a stark gap in how often hospitals screen older adults for postoperative delirium, with verified geriatric surgery programs screening nearly every patient while nonaccredited programs screen just half, according ...
Jun 10, 2026
0
2
Four minutes of daily resistance training can quadruple fitness in older adults
Just 4 minutes of daily strengthening exercise dramatically increases key factors in quality of life for older adults, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine. Results published in PLOS ...
Jun 9, 2026
1
62
Statin use linked to lower risk of frailty in older veterans
Researchers at Mass General Brigham have demonstrated that older U.S. veterans who initiated statin therapy were significantly less likely to develop frailty over time, suggesting that the cholesterol-lowering medications ...
Jun 9, 2026
0
9
