Geriatrics

Elderly person wearing face mask in their home at a window being cared for by an adult also wearing a face mask.

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.

From Penn LDI ・

Elderly African American person waves to a doctor via telemedicine on their smartphone.

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.

From Penn LDI ・

Nursing home hallway with an empty wheelchair parked outside an open door.

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.

From Penn LDI ・

Penn student Darcey Hookway

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.”

Katherine Unger Baillie ・



In the News


Philadelphia Inquirer

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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The New York Times

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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Philadelphia Inquirer

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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The New York Times

‘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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The Hill

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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The New York Times

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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