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Geriatric palliative care news

Hospital delirium linked to later dementia risk in healthy adults

Older adults who develop delirium during a hospital admission face a substantially higher risk of dementia in later years, even if they had no prior health conditions, according to a major new population study appearing in ...

Family caregivers provide $1 trillion in annual labor, AARP says

Family caregivers provide more than $1 trillion in labor every year in the U.S., most of it unpaid, a new AARP report says. Their work forms the backbone of the nation's long-term care system and is essential to helping millions ...

Caregiving without a net: Poll shows who needs help most

Nearly a third of Americans over age 50 provide regular care to an adult relative or friend with a health issue or disability, a new poll finds. But many of them don't know about, or use, local resources that could help them ...

New video series boosts safe psychotropic use in aged care

Researchers at Monash University and Flinders University have launched a series of microlearning education videos designed to support safer, more appropriate use of psychotropic medications for people living with dementia ...

Cancer patients want to participate in difficult decisions

"Patients do not want to be shielded from difficult treatment decisions," says Associate Professor Jannicke Rabben at Norway's University of Agder (UiA). "Even patients who say that the doctor knows best often want to be ...

Study finds 45% of adults 65 and older improved over 12 years

Aging in later life is often portrayed as a steady slide toward physical and cognitive decline. But a new study by scientists at Yale University suggests an alternate narrative—that older individuals can and do improve over ...

Research reveals medication information risks in aged care

A new report from Griffith University has found that fragmented medication systems in Australian aged care are driving high rates of medication discrepancies and avoidable hospital admissions—costing the health system an ...

Oldest-living dogs reveal potential key to fighting frailty

Frailty threatens older individuals because it increases their vulnerability to detrimental health outcomes, such as falling, longer hospitalization, or even shortened life expectancy. New research exploring the linkage between ...

When a hearing aid isn't enough

Hearing loss among older adults remains vastly undertreated. Federal epidemiologists have estimated that it affects about one in five people ages 65 to 74 and more than half of those over 75.

Bucket list wishes can make final days meaningful

Whether it's taking a trip to Disneyland or sharing a meal with a loved one, fulfilling a "bucket list" wish near the end of life offers more than fleeting joy. A new study from The University of Texas at Arlington finds ...

Teaching end-of-life care: Q&A with professor of medicine

Every year, thousands of families sit in hospital rooms hearing words no one wants to hear: "We have done everything we can." What happens next, whether doctors stay engaged or step away, can transform one of life's most ...

The brain may not be a muscle, but it still needs exercise

As we age, keeping our bodies active helps us stay healthier for longer and protects against chronic disease. We can also exercise our brains to prevent age-related mental decline with activities like reading aloud, writing ...

End of life care study reveals gaps in palliative care access

A new study from Swansea University, U.K., using population-scale data, has revealed insights into how people use health and care services in their final year of life and highlights the need for better identification and ...