TOPIC

Older adults research

Everything we have read on older adults. 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.

881 PAPERS · PAGE 18 OF 18 · NEWEST FIRST

• RNSystematic Review2026Effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for older adults with dementia: An umbrella review.International journal of nursing sciencesNon-drug dementia care approaches produced small, consistent reductions in agitation, depression and anxiety, with modest cognitive gains. Quality of life did not show a clear improvement, so choose interventions for specific symptoms rather than overall wellbeing.
• RNMeta-Analysis2026Effects of group reminiscence on psychosocial outcomes among nursing home residents with intact cognition and mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of nursing sciencesNursing home residents with intact cognition or mild cognitive impairment took part in group reminiscence and showed less depression and higher life satisfaction, self-esteem and happiness. Loneliness evidence was inconclusive.
• RNSystematic Review2026Private Equity Ownership in Hospice Care: A Systematic Review (2012-2026).The American journal of hospice & palliative careHospice care experiences were worse in private equity-owned agencies than in nonprofit and other for-profit hospices, especially communication with families and timely care. Emotional and religious support did not differ. Evidence is limited to six studies.
• RNSystematic Review2026Best Evidence Summary for the Management of Frailty in Elderly Patients in Emergency Department-Integrative Review.Nursing openNurse-led frailty screening, assessment, medication review, exercise, nutrition, and discharge planning is recommended for older adults in emergency departments, based on 13 studies.
• RNQualitative2026Perceived experiences of long-term care services among long-term care insurance beneficiaries and their family members: A qualitative interview study in Hunan Province, China.International journal of nursing sciencesBeneficiaries and family members found applications smooth and costs eased, but described unclear disability assessments, uneven caregiver quality, basic care lacking medication management, monitoring, and rehabilitation support, and still paid more than 30% out of pocket.
• RNOther2026Symptom Clusters and Frailty Among Older Adults With and Without Cancer: Insights From Two Cross-Sectional Studies.Nursing & health sciencesIn older adults, depressive symptoms were associated with frailty, and sleep disturbance was linked to part of that association. Pain interfering with daily life was linked to variation in the depression-sleep association in nursing home residents, but not in cancer outpatients.
• RNSurvey2026Frailty and Social Isolation of Elderly Prostate Cancer Patients: A Chain Mediating and Network Analysis of Illness Perception and Acceptance.Nursing openOlder men with prostate cancer who were more frail also reported more negative illness views, lower acceptance, and greater social isolation. The study did not test whether changing these factors reduces isolation.
• RNOther2026Unsupervised Learning Identifies Sleep Disturbance Subtypes Among Dementia Caregivers.Nursing research143 dementia caregivers split into three sleep groups: efficient sleep, trouble falling and staying asleep, and too little sleep. The too little sleep group was 72.0% male, 64% reported no support, and 100% reported a non-English primary language.
• OTRNSystematic Review2026Caregivers' Perceptions of End-of-Life Care in Brazil: A Qualitative Systematic Review.Revista brasileira de enfermagemBrazilian end-of-life caregivers valued easy team access, family support, and clear talk about death. They also reported overload, financial strain, distrust of palliative care, and reliance on faith and resilience.
• RNCohort2026Drug-Drug Interactions in Nursing Home Residents With vs Without Dementia.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationMore than half (56.6%) of nursing home residents were exposed to at least one clinically important drug-drug interaction. Residents with dementia had higher exposure to any interaction (58.0% vs 53.3%) and often longer durations.
• OTRNSystematic Review2026Views on Everyday Life and Reflections on Future Death and Dying Among Older Persons Residing in Nursing Homes: A Meta-Ethnographic Synthesis.International journal of older people nursingNursing home residents described everyday life as loss of home, body, routines and relationships, while actively trying to maintain identity and dignity. They saw death as close, valued choices and social contact, and many wanted a painless death surrounded by relatives.
• RNSurvey2026Sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities of older adults associated with Primary Health Care quality.Revista brasileira de enfermagemOlder adults in Brazil rated essential primary care as satisfactory overall, 7.5 of 10. But first-contact accessibility and available services scored low. Men, higher income, and people with chronic conditions rated some aspects better.
• RNQualitative2026Care Practices Supporting Older Adult Mobility in Institutional Long-Term Care: An Ethnographic Study.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesCare workers in one Finnish long-term care unit often balanced residents' mobility against routines and other care tasks. They supported autonomy by allowing time, choices and small environmental changes, but scheduled care could delay movement.
• RNCohort2026Clinical Frailty in Intensive Care Units: Prevalence and Associated Factors.Nursing in critical careIn 149 adult ICU patients, 82.6% were frail within 24 hours. Frailty was linked to older age, male sex, higher APACHE II and nutritional risk, and death. This helps ICU nurses flag high-risk patients, but it is not a tested intervention.
• RNCohort2026Oral Anticoagulant Use Among Residents in VA Long-Term Care With Atrial Fibrillation After the 2014 ACC/AHA Guideline.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationAnticoagulant use, adjusted for age, rose from 31.2% in 2013 to 2014 to 46.6% in 2019 among high-risk VA nursing home residents with AF, but use was lower in older, Black, Hispanic, and functionally or cognitively impaired residents.
• RNRCT2026Exploring a Facilitator-Enabled Flexible iSupport for Dementia Program: An Internal Pilot Mixed-Methods Study.Nursing openFacilitator-supported dementia program for 84 carers was feasible but hard to recruit: only 10% of eligible carers joined, and 20% dropped out by 6 months. Early outcome trends were mixed and not proof of benefit.
• PTOTRNQualitative2026Community-Dwelling Older Adults' Experience With Activity Trackers: Effects of Monitoring Physical Activity.Journal of gerontological nursingOlder adults in a community exercise program said tracking with a Fitbit helped them set goals, feel more active, manage fear of falling, and describe changes in memory, social connection, and function. These were self-reported experiences, not proof the tracker caused change.
• RNOther2026Exposure to Drugs Related to Injurious Falls Risk and to Bisphosphonates in Nursing Home Residents With Recent Fracture.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationNursing home residents with recent fracture rarely used oral bisphosphonates, only 4.2%, while 72.8% used at least one medication linked to injurious falls. Residents on bisphosphonates did not have fewer high-risk medications.
• RNSystematic Review2026Self-compassion interventions for family caregivers of people with dementia: a scoping review.Revista brasileira de enfermagemSome mindfulness, compassion, yoga, ACT, or mentalization programs for family caregivers of people with dementia were associated with better emotional well-being, quality of life, or lower anxiety. Self-compassion improved in only some studies.
• RNCohort2026A One-Year Study Using Digital Biomarkers From Sensing Technologies to Assess Changes in Physical Activity Levels and Sleep Quality in Nursing Home Residents With Dementia: Observational Study.JMIR nursingIn 9 nursing home residents with dementia, contactless radar sleep measures tracked changes over a year, but wrist activity readings were not reliable over time. Device wear was high.
• OTRNSurvey2026Understanding Differences in Resident Loneliness/Isolation Across US Nursing Homes: A Multilevel Analysis of MDS 3.0 Data.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationOne in five long-stay nursing home residents reported feeling lonely or isolated. Much of the variation was between nursing homes, not counties. Residents with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, hearing or vision impairment, or low CNA care were more likely to report it.
• RNOther2026Moderate and severe falls: predictive model based on six years of reports in southern Brazil.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PIn 300 hospital fall reports, longer stay over 14 days, male sex, morning shift, disorientation, chronic disease, and circulatory disease were linked to moderate or severe harm. Previous hospitalization was linked to lower risk of moderate or severe harm.
• RNOther2026Geographic Variation of Gabapentinoids and Opioids in US Nursing Homes.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationGabapentinoids were used by 13.4% of long-stay US nursing home residents, opioids by 9.1%, and both by 5.4%. Opioid and combined use varied widely by region. Combined use may need monitoring for sedation and falls.
• RNSystematic Review2026Mapping Scandinavian Hospital-at-Home Organisations and Interventions for Patients With Acute Somatic Illness-A Scoping Review.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesScandinavian Hospital-at-Home programmes used specialised acute nursing teams to deliver intravenous fluids, antibiotics, blood tests and vital-sign monitoring at home, mostly for adults aged 65 or older with infections, dehydration or COPD exacerbations.
• OTRNCohort2026Impact of Cognitive Status at Skilled Nursing Facility Admission on Days Spent at Home Over the Year Following Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Adults.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationAmong older adults with traumatic brain injury discharged to skilled nursing, lower brief cognitive screen scores at admission were linked with fewer days at home over the next year. Severe impairment had the lowest days at home.
• OTRNSystematic Review2026A Systematic Review of Worldwide Guidelines, Protocols, and Health Care Standards for Provision of Palliative Care Services in Progressive Neurological Disorders.Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of NursingPalliative care guidelines for progressive neurological disorders emphasize symptom management, caregiver support and early planning, but spiritual wellbeing is rarely covered and no guideline addresses all four WHO domains.
• RNQualitative2026Experiences and perceptions of sleep quality among older adults in Bangka Belitung, Indonesia: a qualitative study.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S POlder adults described poor sleep driven by worry, family stress, heat, and lighting. They managed it with prayer, dhikr, calming thoughts, and short daytime naps, while receiving little formal sleep guidance.
• RNCohort2026Effectiveness of an Information Platform-Based Multidisciplinary Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Program on Recovery After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: A Non-Concurrent Controlled Study.Nursing openPatients receiving a nurse-led multidisciplinary ERAS pathway with digital support after TAVI had shorter hospital stays and better early mobility than those receiving standard care. The benefit came from the entire package of extra staff time and rehab, not just the app.
• RNCohort2026Predictors of Resilience Among Patients Living With Heart Failure Amid Escalating Sociopolitical Challenges: A Cross-Sectional Approach.Nursing openSelf-care maintenance and management, not depression or quality of life, predicted resilience in heart failure patients. Nurses should focus education on these self-care behaviours rather than assuming psychological distress drives poor adaptation.
• RNOther2026Effects of a Digital Decision Support System on Diabetes Management in a Real-World Home Care Setting: Prospective Quasi-Experimental Feasibility and Implementation Study.JMIR nursingFewer emergency admissions and lower morning glucose were recorded while home care nurses used structured nursing training, GlucoTab, physician-guided insulin initiation and standardized insulin titration protocols. The small study cannot separate components.
• RNOther2026Effectiveness of the PASRR Program Compared With Claims Data in Identifying Nursing Home Admissions With Mental Illness.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationOnly 11.3% of nursing home admissions with claims/encounter-derived serious mental illness had a positive PASRR serious mental illness screen. Staff should not rely on that flag alone to identify residents who need mental health care planning.