Geriatrics | Penn Today

a couple walking a bulldog in the sunshine

Is dog walking hazardous to senior health?

Between 2004 and 2017, dog walking related fractures in people 65 or older more than doubled, and two factors are the cause: increased pet ownership and a greater emphasis, in recent years, on physical activity at older ages.

Joey the senior cat triumphs over illness with help from friends

A professor at Pen Vet who specializes in geriatric feline medicine is able to identify what was ailing Joey, a cat d’un certain âge.

A group of college students sitting on a street between colorful buildings.

Seeing health care disparities firsthand in Chile

A senior in the course Health and the Health Care System in Chile reflects on lessons from a 10-day Nursing Study Abroad winter break trip, which offered a holistic view of the South American country’s health system.

Report predicts aging homeless population will nearly triple by 2030

The national population of people 65 or older experiencing homelessness is estimated to grow from 40,000 to 106,000 by 2030.

Two women and a man playing large bongo drums.

Can music improve anxiety and depression for people with memory disorders?

That’s the aim of a recently completed pilot program connecting Penn Memory Center patients, Penn graduate students, and Curtis Institute musicians.

The Wall Street Journal

Banks monitor older customers for cognitive decline

The Perelman School of Medicine’s Jason Karlawish said that banks notifying health-care professionals when older clients show signs of decline would help doctors make diagnoses and better protect account holders.

old photo album in the lap of an elderly person

Breaking the cycle of despair for people with dementia

A new book dissects the challenge of living with the disease for individuals who have it, and for their caregivers.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Penn and Drexel experts see hope for better lives with dementia

The School of Nursing’s Nancy Hodgson has co-authored a new book, Better Living with Dementia, which emphasizes supporting patients through all stages of the disease.

‘Alarming’ diabetes epidemic in Guatemala tied to aging, not obesity

A new study by Penn Center for Global Health, published in PLOS One, finds that 25 percent of the large indigenous population in Guatemala has either type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Huffington Post

How to bring the ballot to aging Americans

The Perelman School’s Jason Karlawish discussed the ethical imperative to help nursing-home residents vote in elections. Karlawish proposed that mobile voting could improve participation.

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