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Geriatrics
Social isolation and anxiety in older adults with cognitive impairment
Social isolation among older adults with cognitive impairment has been historically understudied. Since the pandemic, older adults, particularly those with cognitive impairment, may be particularly vulnerable to ill effects from social isolation.
Family and friends are the invisible workforce in long-term care
Family and friends continue to provide substantial amounts of care in nursing homes, amounting to an invisible workforce, providing more than an extra “shift” of care every week in nursing homes and two “shifts” in assisted living facilities, a new study finds.
Older adults’ access to primary care during the pandemic
Older patients who accessed primary care via telemedicine had lower hospitalization rates, but racial disparities in outcomes of in-person primary care persist, with Black older adults more likely to be hospitalized after a telemedicine visit.
Nursing home staffing during the pandemic
While the pandemic hit nursing homes especially hard, one area it did not suffer is in staffing. A new study finds that staffing levels in nursing homes did not decrease during the pandemic.
A new theory for what’s happening in the brain when something looks familiar
This novel concept from the lab of neuroscientist Nicole Rust brings the field one step closer to understanding how memory functions. Long-term, it could have implications for treating memory-impairing diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Jason Karlawish on the science and history of Alzheimer’s
The the co-director of the Penn Memory Center outlines the medical, social, and ethical challenges that surround Alzheimer’s disease.
Companionship that spans generations and reduces isolation for seniors
With the pandemic, Penn Memory Center’s social interaction and companionship program for seniors moved online.
A new vision for the Population Aging Research Center
For more than 25 years, PARC has been a hub for work on disparities in aging and mortality. Co-directors Hans-Peter Kohler and Norma Coe, who took over in July, want to expand its reach.
Aging and the costs that come with it
As a high school student, junior Darcey Hookway spent time volunteering on a dementia ward at a local hospital. “The social aspect of their condition really struck me,” says Hookway, who is from London. “They struggled immensely with social isolation. And now with COVID exacerbating that more than ever, I think that’s a huge detriment to their health.”
Middle-aged individuals may be in a perpetual state of H3N2 flu susceptibility
Individuals’ immunological imprint from early childhood infection likely lessens the virus’ severity, but does not prevent infection.
In the News
We can’t drug our way out of despair over Alzheimer’s
Jason Karlawish of the Perelman School of Medicine wrote an opinion piece calling for a more holistic approach to funding Alzheimer’s research and care. “We do need effective drug treatments,” he said. “But short of cures, patients need services and supports.”
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In reversal, FDA calls for limits on who gets Alzheimer’s drug
Jason Karlawish of the Perelman School of Medicine weighed in on revised FDA guidance on a new Alzheimer’s drug and calls for an investigation into its approval and price. “This event only adds to the importance of having those congressional hearings to figure out what’s going on at F.D.A. and why they’re doing this,” he said.
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A year of isolation was hard on older adults with dementia. Families and experts wonder how much damage can be undone
With the pandemic triggering declines in aging and dementia patients, Pam Cacchione of the School of Nursing shares a personal story about how the elderly living on their own during the pandemic face different challenges than those in nursing homes.
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‘We are going to keep you safe, even it if kills your spirit’
Jason Karlawish of the Perelman School of Medicine said caregivers act as an “extension of the mind” for patients with dementia, and as such, banning these caregivers from care facilities to limit COVID-19 exposure risks can be uniquely damaging.
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We need comprehensive long-term care reform, and we need it now
Norma B. Coe of the Perelman School of Medicine wrote about the importance of comprehensive reform for long-term care of the elderly.
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Now that grandma has been vaccinated, may I visit her?
Joshua Uy of the Perelman School of Medicine said nursing home visitors still need to wear a mask when seeing elderly family members, with or without a vaccine.
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