https://medicalxpress.com/gerontology-geriatrics-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Geriatric Palliative Care A smartphone app can help individuals with advanced cancer deal with symptoms and maintain their quality of life, according to new research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-smartphone-app-advanced-cancer-quality.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 23:40:01 EDT news699624208 The neglected psychological support needs for caregivers of people with dementia in the UK could soon be addressed with a major multicenter trial led by University of Manchester psychologists. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-psychological-caregivers-people-dementia.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:11 EDT news699615602 Nursing homes across the country had less staffing in states where legislatures granted the facilities immunity from COVID-19-related lawsuits filed by patients and their families, according to findings from a new UCLA-led study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-nursing-home-staffing-declined-states.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:40:01 EDT news699618722 Going through surgery can take a significant toll on a patient's physical health and capabilities, especially if they are elderly. A recent study found that the effects extend far beyond mobility and pain management, as the operation may also lead to a significant loss of overall cognitive sharpness. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-major-surgery-memory-loss-older.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:20:07 EDT news699529058 Many scientists are trying to determine just how much medical intervention can lengthen the human lifespan. But Daniel Promislow, senior scientist and scientific advisor at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, is interested in a different question: If humans suddenly start living longer, what might the consequences be? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-potential-problems-longer-qa.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:20:01 EDT news699526022 Researchers have found that consuming lower amounts of protein-rich foods may negatively affect physical functioning as people grow older, underscoring the vital function protein plays in preserving mobility and muscle strength in adulthood. In a large aging cohort study published in the journal Nutrients, the researchers report that regular dietary habits, particularly the consumption of protein-rich foods, can influence how well individuals move and perform daily activities later in life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-protein-rich-foods-physical-function.html Sat, 30 May 2026 09:30:01 EDT news699200734 A new study from Flinders University researchers describes the perspectives of aged care staff on when and how they communicate with families to plan end-of-life care—and identifies that increased training and resources are needed to properly equip aged care staff for appropriate engagement with families. The work is published in the Australasian Journal on Ageing. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-aged-staff-life-conversations.html Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:15 EDT news699185161 A large multisite study of older people with cognitive impairment finds that Black and Hispanic people, while known to be far more apt to have dementia, are significantly less apt than other racial and ethnic groups to show Alzheimer's pathology on brain scans. The study, reported in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, was led by researchers at Vanderbilt Health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-brain-imaging-highlights-ethnoracial-differences.html Thu, 28 May 2026 07:00:02 EDT news699163621 Enough time had passed since the patient's previous colonoscopy that she met the criteria to undergo another, said Dr. Steven Itzkowitz, a gastroenterologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-medical-routines-older-people.html Tue, 26 May 2026 21:20:01 EDT news699010553 Obtaining home care for older adults with Medicaid can be a complex, multi-step process marked by delays and uncertainty, often resulting in long wait times, according to a new Weill Cornell Medicine study. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that millions of Americans with limited income and resources depend on for free or low-cost health coverage, including the help needed to age at home. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-york-families-maze-medicaid-funded.html Tue, 26 May 2026 14:20:03 EDT news699021421 Growing old is a fact of life. But thanks to improved health care and innovative technology, more of us are living longer and healthier lives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-puzzles-clubs-age.html Mon, 25 May 2026 11:00:03 EDT news698920081 Some of the most powerful interventions to slow or improve frailty are also the most ordinary: regular movement, adequate nutrition, and meaningful social connection. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-aging-purpose-science-frailty-reversal.html Mon, 25 May 2026 09:40:03 EDT news698919182 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 the journal Energy Research & Social Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-uk-vulnerable-people-dangerously-exposed.html Thu, 21 May 2026 15:20:04 EDT news698586842 Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine found evidence of slowed aging from lifestyle behaviors like healthy eating and exercise as part of a major clinical trial. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-lifestyle-aging-older-adults.html Thu, 21 May 2026 07:40:05 EDT news698567822 Calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplements offer little to no clinically meaningful benefit for fracture and fall prevention in most older people, finds an in-depth review of the latest evidence published by The BMJ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-calcium-vitamin-d-supplements-meaningful.html Wed, 20 May 2026 18:30:03 EDT news698479748 A new survey of U.S. physicians focuses on human preservation procedures and the feasibility of future revival. Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston of Monash University, Australia, and colleagues present their findings in the study, published in the open-access journal PLOS One. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-doctors-human-future-revival.html Wed, 20 May 2026 14:00:06 EDT news698491683 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 to the electronic health record at least six months before death were 25% less likely to experience potentially burdensome end-of-life care (19.9% versus 26.8%) and 31% less likely to have died in the hospital (23.2% versus 32.1%). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-advance-affect-life.html Wed, 20 May 2026 03:00:03 EDT news698339743 Sexuality is an important part of life—even when we grow old. The idea that desire disappears with age is a myth that needs to be debunked, argues a psychologist who has researched older adults' sex lives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-elderly-people-sexually.html Tue, 19 May 2026 14:00:07 EDT news698412081 Despite their crucial function, public hospitals often face limited resources and financial distress, and an aging population can further exacerbate any imbalances in medical resource distribution. Furthermore, the proportion of aging individuals is not uniform across the country; in Japan, this has led to regional disparities in health care for the elderly. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-hospitals-elderly-patients-local-beds.html Thu, 14 May 2026 14:40:01 EDT news697987895 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 in The Lancet Planetary Health, the study projects that without significant adaptation, premature deaths among adults aged 65 and older linked to high-tide flooding could increase 43-fold by 2100. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-routine-coastal-deadly-older-adults.html Wed, 13 May 2026 16:19:51 EDT news697907942 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 College London. For the study, published in Age and Ageing, the researchers used 2004–05 to 2021–23 data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), a long-running, UCL-led nationally representative survey that gathers a wide range of information from around 20,000 people aged 50 and older in England who are re-interviewed every two years. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-heavy-responsibilities-hasten-cognitive-decline.html Tue, 12 May 2026 19:10:02 EDT news697814821 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 be predicted using a simple set of home-based measurements and artificial intelligence. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-simple-home-mobility-decline-older.html Tue, 12 May 2026 16:20:01 EDT news697810109 When care teams screen older adults undergoing surgery for risk factors such as falls and delirium, they are able to improve the care and outcomes of this rapidly growing and uniquely vulnerable patient population, according to findings published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-fall-delirium-screening-interventions-surgical.html Tue, 12 May 2026 15:20:07 EDT news697814281 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 consultation with health care professionals, older adults with lived experience of frailty, and caregivers across the country. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-annual-frailty-screening-65s.html Mon, 11 May 2026 11:20:07 EDT news697713841 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 increases muscle mass and strength. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-older-adults-adding-whey-protein.html Mon, 11 May 2026 10:40:02 EDT news697713242 Across Medicare beneficiaries, primary care visit rates and access decreased from 2017 to 2023, and telemedicine accounted for a small proportion of visits, according to a study published online in JAMA Health Forum. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-decrease-primary-access-older-adults.html Fri, 08 May 2026 19:00:01 EDT news697444909 Nature-based group activities can reduce loneliness, improve sleep and cognition, and increase a sense of connection to nature in older adults living in care homes. Focusing on nature, including outdoor excursions and contacts with the natural world, the activities boosted well-being and health through peer support and activity content. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-nature-based-group-outings-loneliness.html Thu, 07 May 2026 21:40:02 EDT news697359268 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." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-reshapes-complexity-aging.html Thu, 07 May 2026 18:00:06 EDT news697391883 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 longevity. For many people, taking supplements can feel like a sensible, proactive health habit. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-supplements-shortcut-healthy-aging.html Thu, 07 May 2026 12:40:01 EDT news697374122 Can a compound derived from a common kitchen ingredient help support muscle health during aging? A new study suggests it can. The study reveals that S-1-propenyl-L-cysteine (S1PC), a bioactive compound found in aged garlic extract, shows potential anti-aging effects. S1PC promotes inter-organ communication between fat tissue and the brain, ultimately enhancing muscle strength, pointing to its potential in improving muscle frailty in aged individuals. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-garlic-derived-compound-potential-muscle.html Thu, 07 May 2026 11:00:04 EDT news697279659