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Geriatrics research

Everything we have read on geriatrics. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

1,154 PAPERS · PAGE 4 OF 24 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTRNCohort2022The Influence of Prior Functional Status on Self-Care Improvement During a Skilled Nursing Facility Stay.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationSkilled nursing facility residents who were independent in self-care before admission scored higher at admission and discharge and improved more during the stay than those who needed help or were dependent. Prior self-care level helps set realistic discharge goals.
• OTSurvey2022Visual identifier systems for patients with cognitive impairment in healthcare settings: A survey of practice in UK hospitals.International journal of older people nursingHospital staff use many visual identifiers for patients with dementia or suspected impairment, but report inconsistent application, unclear consent, and limited training. The survey found little evidence about whether these systems improve care.
• PTOTQualitative2023Physical Activity Programming for Older Adults in Assisted Living: Residents' Perspectives.Western journal of nursing researchAssisted living residents wanted physical activity programs to be shorter, group-based, safe and adaptable. They preferred framing goals as adding light activity rather than reducing sitting, and found chair-only classes too easy.
• OTSurvey2022Empowering interventions for people living with dementia: A European survey.Journal of advanced nursingDementia professionals named 90 interventions as empowering, but no intervention addressed all empowerment domains. They included support for identity, choice, activity or inclusion; people living with dementia were not asked whether they felt empowered.
• OTRNOther2022Promoting sleep in low-income older adults with disabilities: Comparing CAPABLE with a social engagement control.Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.)Both a multidisciplinary home program and a social engagement control improved sleep efficiency and reduced sleep onset latency in low-income older adults with disabilities. However, the multidisciplinary program was not superior to the social engagement control.
• OTRNQualitative2022Unique Care Needs of People with Dementia and Their Caregivers during Transitions from Skilled Nursing Facilities to Home and Assisted Living: A Qualitative Study.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationDuring skilled nursing facility to home transitions, families often did not recognize cognitive decline until after discharge. They were then unprepared for symptoms, medications, pain, falls, daily tasks, and had little support for themselves.
• OTRNNarrative Review2022Managing the Impact of COVID-19 in Nursing Homes and Long-Term Care Facilities: An Update.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationNursing home residents with SARS-CoV-2 often have delirium, falls, diarrhea, or no symptoms. Vaccination and boosters reduce infection and death. Lockdowns harm mental health and family well-being.
• OTQualitative2022Providers' Perspectives on High-Quality Dementia Care in Long-Term Care.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationLong-term care dementia providers described high-quality care as flexible, person-centered routines: understand why care is rejected, engage families, and shape spaces and communication to residents' needs.
• PTOTOther2023Using consensus methods to prioritize modifiable risk factors for development of manifestations of frailty in hospitalized older adults.Nursing open14 clinical and academic experts agreed 44 modifiable risk factors for frailty in hospitalized older adults, from pain and medication to mobility, elimination and call bells. This is a care planning list, not tested evidence that targeting them improves outcomes.
• OTSurvey2022Have changes in Internet use during the COVID-19 pandemic affected older adults' self-rated health? A cross-sectional study of young-old and old-old populations in Korea.Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.)Among older Koreans using the Internet, increases in online use during the pandemic were associated with better self-rated health, especially among those aged 75 and above.
• OTRNPilot2022Adapting the Connect-Home transitional care intervention for the unique needs of people with dementia and their caregivers: A feasibility study.Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.)Adapted skilled nursing facility transitional care for people with dementia and caregivers was delivered with high fidelity and rated helpful. Two of nineteen patients were readmitted within 30 days, but with no control group this cannot show it works.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022Effects of equine-assisted interventions on older adults' health: A systematic review.International journal of nursing sciencesEquine-assisted interventions produced mixed results in 265 older adults across 13 small studies, with low-quality evidence, and the only cognitive study found no improvement.
• OTSLPPilot2023Developing an animated COVID-19 e-curriculum for adults with dementia and caregivers: Challenges and solutions.Patient education and counselingDementia caregiver educators rated an animated COVID-19 curriculum as very good or excellent and self-reported better ability to explain safety and healthcare navigation. It was developed and evaluated with staff, not patients or caregivers, so it does not show patient benefit.
• OTQualitative2023Identifying personal beliefs of nursing staff about encouraging psychogeriatric nursing home residents in daily activities: A qualitative study.Nursing openNursing staff in psychogeriatric wards said they encouraged residents, yet often took over washing and dressing because it was faster, habit, time pressure, and small space.
• PTOTSLPRNCohort2023Comprehensive Geriatric Hospital at Home: Adaptation to Referral and Case-Mix Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationHospital-at-home services for older adults adapted to pandemic changes without worsening outcomes. However, patients referred directly from the community achieved less functional recovery than those stepping down from hospital. Community referrals often involved more complex, frail patients.
• PTOTRNCohort2023A longitudinal study of disability in activities of daily living and activity restriction-induced fear of falling among Korean older people.Nursing openOlder adults who limited activities because they feared falling had more disability in daily tasks over 10 years. Fear of falling without limiting activities was not linked to disability.
• OTOther2023Projecting Long-Term Care Costs for Home and Community-Based Services in China from 2005 to 2050.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationHome and community-based long-term care costs for older adults in China are projected to rise sharply, with faster growth for people needing help with three or more daily activities. This is a cost projection, not evidence that therapy reduces spending.
• OTRCT2023Nudge-Based Interventions on Health Promotion Activity Among Very Old People: A Pragmatic, 2-Arm, Participant-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationVery old retirement community residents who received a time-limited quiz message and a commitment question had higher daily tablet use than controls about a month later. The effect was larger in men. It did not measure physical activity.
• OTCohort2023Depressive Multimorbidity and Trajectories of Functional Status among Older Americans: Differences by Racial/Ethnic Group.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationOlder adults with high depressive symptoms plus chronic disease accumulated daily living limitations about five times faster over time than those with neither. Hispanic and Black participants also accumulated limitations faster than White participants.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2023Impact of COVID-19 on Long-Term Care Service Utilization of Older Home-Dwelling Adults in Japan.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationLong-term care service use for home-dwelling older adults in Japan dropped sharply during the April 2020 state of emergency. Commuting and short-stay services fell most, while home visits declined less. Recovery was uneven.
• PTOTRNMeta-Analysis2023Effects of chair-based resistance band exercise on physical functioning, sleep quality, and depression of older adults in long-term care facilities: Systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of nursing sciencesChair-based resistance band exercise improved daily living independence, strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, sleep quality and depression in older adults in long-term care. Sessions were about 40 to 46 min, three times weekly, for 12 to 60 weeks.
• PTOTRNCohort2023Incidence and risk factors of falls in older adults after discharge: A prospective study.International journal of nursing sciencesAmong 1,077 older Chinese adults after discharge, falls rose to 4.45% at 1 month, 9.03% at 6 months, and 10.80% at 12 months. Depression and frailty were independently associated with falls.
• OTRNQualitative2023The self-care process of community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.Revista brasileira de enfermagemOlder adults changed self-care routines during COVID-19 using health professionals, media and technology, but unapproved practices appeared only in those diagnosed. Loss of daily activities and risk-group stigma brought fear, discouragement and loneliness.
• PTOTSLPRNCohort2023Pain and Associated Factors in Nursing Home Residents.Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management NursesNursing home residents with intact cognition, arthritis, depression, anxiety, or contractures were more likely to report severe or persistent pain. Residents with Alzheimer’s disease reported less pain, likely due to assessment difficulties rather than lower pain levels.
• OTRNOther2023Delirium Mediates Incidence of Hospital-Associated Disability Among Older Adults.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationHospitalized older adults with delirium were more likely to lose daily living skills before discharge. Delirium accounted for part of the disability risk linked to dementia and higher comorbidity.
• OTCohort2023Changes in Satisfaction with Meaningful Activities and Onset of Depressive Symptoms among Community-Dwelling Japanese Older Adults: A Population-Based Study Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationCommunity-dwelling older adults whose satisfaction with their most meaningful activities fell were more likely to develop depressive symptoms during follow-up. Ask what matters to them, not just what they do, when planning mental health support.
• PTOTSLPRNCohort2023Use of Home-Based Clinical Care and Long-Term Services and Supports Among Homebound Older Adults.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationMost homebound older adults use long-term supports like assistive devices, but very few receive comprehensive care. Nearly half had minimal services despite being homebound. Clinical teams should screen for gaps in meals, transport, and paid help, not assume skilled home health covers all needs.
• PTOTRNCohort2023Accumulated incidence of falls in people hospitalised with cancer and related factors.Nursing openMost falls in hospitalised cancer patients happened at night, in the bathroom, or while walking, with the patient unaccompanied. Weakness or loss of balance caused nearly half. Age and psychotropic drugs were linked to injuries, but most falls caused no harm.
• PTOTRNOther2023Interactive gerontechnology for fall prevention in the elderly: a descriptive study.Revista brasileira de enfermagemThirty older adults rated a 3D scale model of a hazardous home as highly useful for spotting fall risks like loose rugs and poor lighting. Experts agreed the tool is valid for education, but the study did not test if it prevents actual falls.
• PTOTRNOther2023Levels of Accelerometer-Based Physical Activity in Older Adults With a Mismatch Between Physiological Fall Risk and Fear of Falling.Journal of gerontological nursingOlder adults whose fear of falling did not match their actual balance risk did significantly less moderate to vigorous physical activity than those whose perception matched reality. This mismatch may contribute to inactivity and increased fall risk in community-dwelling seniors.
• PTOTSLPRNCohortFactors Associated With Function-Focused Care Among Hospitalized Older Adults Living With Dementia.Critical care nursing quarterlyHospitalized older adults with dementia who performed more daily activities and had less delirium reported less pain. Positive staff interactions also correlated with lower pain scores. These associations were cross-sectional, so causation is not proven, but they highlight functional engagement as a key factor.
• PTOTSLPRNCohort2023Trajectories of Functional Decline in Older Adults: A Latent Class Growth Curve Analysis.Western journal of nursing researchMost older adults stay independent until age 85, but 10% decline rapidly from age 65 and 11% start with high disability. Comorbidities drive decline more than race or sex. Identify these groups early to target care.
• PTOTSLPRNQualitative2023Setting a Patient-Driven Agenda for Cancer Research Priorities in Geriatric Oncology: A Qualitative Study.Seminars in oncology nursingOlder adults with cancer prioritized research into symptom recognition, managing treatment side effects, and frailty over drug development. They reported feeling unheard when clinicians conflated cancer symptoms with normal aging, and highlighted gaps in support for caregivers.
• PTOTSLPRNCohort2023Association of Perceived Neighborhood Environments With Cognitive Function in Older Adults.Journal of gerontological nursingOlder adults who perceived better transit access and sidewalk coverage in their neighborhood scored slightly higher on cognitive tests. These links disappeared for other neighborhood features after adjusting for age and education. The sample was highly educated and mostly cognitively intact, so results may not apply to diverse groups.
• PTOTSLPRNCase-Control2023Development and validation of a risk prediction model for visual impairment in older adults.International journal of nursing sciencesA risk score using age, blood pressure, physical activity, diabetes, eye history and education separated older adults with and without visual impairment in a Chinese hospital. It was not tested outside that setting, so it cannot yet guide routine screening.
• PTOTSLPRNOther2023King's Parkinson's Disease Pain Questionnaire: reliability and convergent construct validity.Revista brasileira de enfermagemThe King's Parkinson's Disease Pain Questionnaire is reliable for assessing pain in Brazilian older adults with Parkinson's. A change of 9 points on its 168-point scale marks a clinically important difference. It correlates weakly with general pain measures, suggesting it captures Parkinson-specific pain.
• PTOTSLPRNNarrative Review2023Multidimensional Frailty and Traumatic Brain Injury among Older Adults: A Literature Review.Investigacion y educacion en enfermeriaFrailty predicts worse outcomes after traumatic brain injury in older adults, including higher rates of emotional distress, venous thromboembolism, and functional decline. A multidimensional assessment of physical, psychological, and social frailty may help clinicians anticipate recovery trajectories.
• OTQualitative2023Palliative Care across Settings: Perspectives from Inpatient, Primary Care, and Home Health Care Providers and Staff.The American journal of hospice & palliative careHome health, primary care, and inpatient providers said each can spot palliative care needs from their own vantage point, but poor communication makes it harder. They suggested a clinical lead to talk with patients and a home health lead to coordinate.
• PTOTSLPRNSystematic Review2023A scoping review of older patients' health-related quality of life, recovery and well-being after intensive care.Nursing openOlder ICU survivors face high 1-year mortality and functional decline, but most who survive report acceptable quality of life and willingness to return home. Pain and anxiety are acute issues that often resolve, while frailty and sensory impairments predict poor recovery.
• OTRNCohort2023Changes in Personality Before and During Cognitive Impairment.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationSelf-reported personality changes were small before cognitive impairment and larger during it. Before impairment, extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness declined; neuroticism and openness showed little change. During impairment, neuroticism rose and the other four declined.
• PTOTSLPRNOther2023Understanding health-related quality of life trajectories among older adults with diabetes mellitus: Mixed methods research.Nursing openMost older adults with diabetes maintained good quality of life over five years. Those with declining quality of life often viewed diabetes as a destroyer of their lives and struggled with self-care. Comorbidities like pain and financial barriers drove poor outcomes more than diabetes itself.
• OTQualitative2023We have to turn a transatlantic liner-Leaders' perspectives on creating a meaningful life for older persons receiving municipal care.Nursing openElder care leaders said meaningful daily life requires starting from each older person's preferences, flexible routines, hiring staff suited to person-centred care, and treating relatives as individual co-participants. They described changing the whole system as like turning a transatlantic liner.
• OTRNOther2023Characteristics of health care interventions in affordable senior housing: A scoping review.Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.)Interventions were associated with improved wellness in 6 of 10 studies, symptom control in 8 of 8, and reduced health care use in 6 of 6 across 28 studies of US affordable senior housing. These were associations, not proven effects.
• OTRNOther2023Older Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Canada: A Mixed-Methods Exploratory Study of Care Experiences and Health-Related Quality of Life.Gastroenterology nursing : the official journal of the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and AssociatesMost older Canadian adults with inflammatory bowel disease were satisfied with care but described low collaboration with healthcare teams. They planned life around bathroom access, fatigue pacing, and trusted providers who listened.
• PTOTRNSurvey2023Self-efficacy, resilience and healthy ageing among older people who have an acute hospital admission: A cross-sectional study.Nursing openAmong older people discharged home after an acute hospital admission, higher self-efficacy and resilience were linked to better healthy ageing. More co-morbidities were linked to worse healthy ageing. This does not show that raising self-efficacy improves outcomes.
• OTQualitative2023Sources of meaning in life among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.Nursing openSouth Korean older adults found meaning in learning, helping family, serving others, and staying healthy. Pandemic restrictions cut these sources, causing sadness; some adapted with video calls and new online skills, while others felt life stalled and drank more.
• OTRNOther2024Using Hybrid Effectiveness Studies to Facilitate Implementation in Community-Based Settings: Three Case Studies in Dementia Care Research.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationDementia care programs tested in real-world settings faced repeated implementation barriers: staff turnover, poor communication, and lack of organizational readiness. Readiness assessments were incorporated in some examples and were associated with smoother implementation.
• PTOTRNSystematic Review2023Health effects of social connectedness in older adults living in congregate long-term care settings: A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence.International journal of older people nursingLower social connectedness in nursing homes and assisted living was linked with more depression, poorer quality of life, and faster death. Most evidence was from one-time comparisons, so it cannot prove connectedness causes better health.
• OTPilot2023Time out weekly smile: A pilot test of a virtual respite program.Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.)Three people with dementia, three care partners and three nursing student volunteers described a 12-week virtual respite program as giving protected time, mood lift and meaningful connection. This is a small experience report, not evidence the program works.
• OTSurvey2024Out-of-Pocket Expenses for Long-Term Care by Dementia Status and Residential Setting among US Older Adults.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationOlder adults with dementia in facilities often paid substantial out-of-pocket long-term care costs. Median monthly costs were $1,467 in nursing homes and $2,925 in other residential care, and median income spent was 82.5% to 97.3%.