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Geriatrics

In reversal, FDA calls for limits on who gets Alzheimer’s drug
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.

Nursing home staffing during the pandemic
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

A new theory for what’s happening in the brain when something looks familiar
A black-and-white illustration with many lines and circles and a person sitting in the middle.

How can the brain distinguish between something new and something familiar? Research from the Visual Memory Lab led by Nicole Rust has a new theory, replacing one long-held by the field. (Image: Julia Kuhl)

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.

Michele W. Berger

A year of isolation was hard on older adults with dementia. Families and experts wonder how much damage can be undone
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.

‘We are going to keep you safe, even it if kills your spirit’
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.

Now that grandma has been vaccinated, may I visit her?
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.

A new vision for the Population Aging Research Center
Two older adults walking outside, wearing cold-weather gear, walking arm in arm across a bridge, trees in the background.

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.

Michele W. Berger