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Geriatric palliative care news
For older adults, disaster risk starts long before disaster strikes
For older adults, no disaster is simple. Repeated hurricanes, floods, wildfires and heat waves can combine with chronic illness, limited mobility, weak social support and strained care systems to create risks greater than ...
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Heat wave effects can linger overnight in older adults, study finds
Cooling a home overnight may not be enough to protect older adults from the physiological effects of repeated daytime indoor overheating during a multiday heat wave, according to new research from the University of Ottawa.
Sep 30, 2026
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Multimorbidity identified in most Japanese home care patients
As Japan's population ages, more older adults are receiving home-based medical care, in which physicians regularly visit patients who have difficulty going to clinics or hospitals. Although multimorbidity has long been common ...
Sep 29, 2026
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Death is certain but few of us are really prepared
Death may well come for us all, but new research has found that few Australians are prepared for it or know how to help family members at the end of their lives.
Sep 28, 2026
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Four things you need to know about deprescribing
When was the last time your doctor or pharmacist suggested that you consider stopping a medication?
Sep 25, 2026
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Nursing home beds are becoming more scarce
The San Vicente de Paúl Nursing Home in the South Bronx hasn't admitted a patient since December 2024. ArchCare, which operates the facility, has reduced its capacity from 120 available beds to 53 and plans to shrink it further.
Sep 24, 2026
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Overprescribing can take a toll on older people's health and independence—here's what can be done
Around 8 million people in the U.K. take five or more medications each day (known as polypharmacy), with a further 2 million people taking 10 or more prescription drugs daily. Most people who take multiple medications each ...
Sep 24, 2026
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Community gathering places linked to lower long-term care costs
Community gathering places are intended to support exercise and social participation for all residents, regardless of functional decline. They provide a foundation for mutual support and serve as a preventive care strategy ...
Sep 24, 2026
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In a culture obsessed with staying young, we ignore the many benefits of aging
Every morning, millions of people wake up hoping to look, think and feel younger than they did yesterday.
Sep 23, 2026
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Dementia caregiving can expose hidden family tensions—but early planning can ease the strain
"Families are messy, aren't they?" a daughter commented during a series of focus groups I ran with caregivers of older adults with memory issues.
Sep 23, 2026
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We asked people with dementia about voluntary assisted dying. Here's what they said
What do Australians with dementia think about voluntary assisted dying? Until recently, no researchers had thought to ask.
Sep 23, 2026
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Pharmacist-led medication review can improve medication use in older adults with cancer
There is a pressing need to optimize medication strategies in older adults with cancer, many of whom take ≥5 medications. A randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Internal Medicine demonstrated that an advisory ...
Sep 23, 2026
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Government-owned aged care homes linked to fewer hospital visits in Australia
Experts have raised concerns about a gradual shift in ownership and management models in Australia's aged care facilities—and the subsequent impact this has on the quality of care and resident health outcomes.
Sep 21, 2026
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Common drugs older adults might be overusing
The scenario often unfolds like this: Medical researchers investigate a frequently used drug and report that it's less effective for older patients than previously thought, or that its risks outweigh its benefits in older ...
Sep 21, 2026
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Dementia survey finds caregivers overwhelmed as one-third provide 70 hours of care
New national survey findings show that while many Australians living with dementia report positive well-being and support from family and friends, the pathway to diagnosis can be complex and support services can be difficult ...
Sep 21, 2026
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One-third of older adults with cognitive disorders are taking prescription drugs that could harm them
Adults 65 and older with cognitive disorders such as dementia are more likely to suffer negative effects from drugs that treat central nervous system conditions, including anxiety, sleep problems and psychosis. This means ...
Sep 20, 2026
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Personalized programs to prevent falls may make no difference
Personalized programs designed to reduce falls in older people may make no difference to how often people fall, according to the most comprehensive research review to date.
Sep 20, 2026
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Australians support voluntary assisted dying, but with clear limits
New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has found that Australians broadly support voluntary assisted dying (VAD) as an end-of-life choice, but most believe access should remain limited to people experiencing terminal ...
Sep 16, 2026
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How South Korea is tackling its super‑aging problem—and what other aging nations can learn from its experience
In December 2024, the share of South Koreans ages 65 and older surpassed 20% for the first time, making it what demographers like us call a "super-aged society." By August 2026, that share had risen further to 22.1%.
Sep 15, 2026
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Giving up the car keys can feel like grief for older Australians
Researchers are urging families to start conversations about driving retirement years before an older person is forced off the road, warning that waiting for a crash or near miss can make the transition harder.
Sep 15, 2026
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Why so few older Americans get counseling—and how it could help
People are living longer, reshaping what it means to grow old. By the late 2060s, an estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide will be 60 or older—more than the number of people who are under 18. The population ages 80 and older ...
Sep 14, 2026
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Where 9/11 responders live may influence frailty, PTSD and depression decades later
Twenty-five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that environmental conditions where World Trade Center responders live may influence their ...
Sep 11, 2026
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Blocking a protein may reduce buildup of harmful aging cells
A team led by Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University investigators has identified a protein that may hide aging cells from the body's immune system, allowing them to build up and contribute to age-related health problems.
Sep 10, 2026
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Potentially harmful drug combinations prescribed to older adults identified
A new Ontario-wide study reveals that common medications, from statins to iron supplements, are quietly setting off prescribing cascades that leave older adults unknowingly taking drugs to treat side effects of other drugs.
Sep 10, 2026
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