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.

283 PAPERS · PAGE 3 OF 6 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTRNSystematic Review2025Journeying Home: Elderly Patients' Experiences and Needs During Hospital Discharge- A Meta-Synthesis.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesOlder patients with several long-term conditions leaving hospital for home wanted understandable, timely discharge information and a role that matched their preference. Some welcomed family advocacy; others felt controlled. Rushed, jargon-filled discharge left them anxious.
• RNCohort2025Hypertension Treatment, Blood Pressure, and Deprescribing Among US Nursing Home Residents With and Without Dementia Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationMore blood pressure checks after the pandemic did not change average readings or the share of residents with high or low blood pressure. Residents with dementia had low blood pressure readings, and antihypertensive medicines were reduced less often than in residents without dementia.
• OTRNQualitative2026Older Adults' Self-Care and Family Caregiver Contribution in Multiple Chronic Conditions: A Dyadic Qualitative Study.Journal of advanced nursingIn 34 older adult and family caregiver dyads managing multiple chronic conditions, older adults prioritised symptoms that limited daily life, while caregivers prioritised diseases with complications. Self-care roles and decisions often differed.
• RNSystematic Review2025Exploring the Ethical Dimensions of Care Dependency in Older People: A Transpersonal View.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesCare dependency in older adults is defined by four core attributes: loss of autonomy, erosion of identity, biographical rupture, and negative coping. It is not just physical decline but an ethical and relational experience where preserving dignity requires shared decision-making and cultural respect.
• PTOTRNOther2025Key Areas of Preventive Home Visits and Their Importance for Older Adults: A Scoping Review.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesPreventive home visits for older adults centred on autonomy, trust, tailored advice and information. Older adults valued a regular nurse contact, but some healthy or very ill saw little benefit.
• RNCohort2025Longitudinal Pain Medication Use Among US Older Adults After a Hip Fracture.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationAmong 88,433 Medicare beneficiaries discharged to a skilled nursing facility after hip fracture, 83.7% received pain medication during 100-day follow-up. Among gabapentinoid recipients in the first 15 days, 91.0% were co-prescribed an opioid.
• PTRNOther2025Validity of self-reported measures of decreased muscle strength in older adults.Revista brasileira de enfermagemSelf-reported strength loss in older adults was not reliable enough to identify weak grip alone. Feeling weaker found many true cases but also many people who were not weak. SARC-F caught fewer true cases but wrongly flagged fewer people. Use handgrip measurement when possible.
• RNSystematic Review2025Technological nursing interventions on nutritional status of middle-aged and older adults undergoing hemodialysis: A systematic review.International journal of nursing sciencesNurse-led digital education, telenursing, and apps were linked to improvements in phosphorus, potassium, self-care, and quality of life in hemodialysis patients, but evidence was short-term and a malnutrition reduction was not confirmed.
• RNSystematic Review2025Advance care planning among stroke patients: A scoping review.International journal of nursing sciencesAdvance care planning for stroke patients was delivered through formal and informal discussions, documentation, and family or surrogate involvement. Two studies reported higher documented advance directive rates. Only eight studies were found, and implementation remained limited.
• RNOther2025Self-Health Monitoring by Smart Devices and Ontology Technology for Older Adults With Uncontrolled Hypertension: Quasi-Experimental Study.JMIR nursingOlder adults with uncontrolled hypertension who used a smartwatch, app, and nurse-led messaging for 12 weeks saw their mean arterial pressure drop significantly compared to usual care. However, self-reported behavior scores did not differ between the two groups.
• RNRCT2026Integrating patient education on deprescribing into care delivery: Learnings from the Optimize pragmatic trial.Patient education and counselingOlder adults and care partners accepted deprescribing education, but brochures given at the start of visits were seldom remembered. Only 5 of 160 contacted recalled receiving one. Some preferred mail, portal, or pharmacy delivery.
• RNOther2025Self-care capacity of informal caregivers of older adults with dementia: quasi-experimental study.Revista latino-americana de enfermagemAfter watching four self-care videos sent through WhatsApp, 17 caregivers of older adults with dementia scored higher on self-care capacity, but with no control group the change cannot be proven to be due to the videos.
• RNPilot2025Alignment of Minimum Data Set 3.0 Ratings With Staff Care Partner Reports of Symptoms of Distress for Nursing Home Residents.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationIn nursing home residents with dementia, staff reports of distress symptoms matched MDS ratings for only about half. Wandering had the weakest match, so care plans and research may miss symptoms.
• RNCohort2025Frailty and Anemia in Geriatric Care: A Retrospective Cohort Study.The American journal of nursingFrailty and anemia were both common in hospitalized older adults, and the two conditions were linked. Nurses should assess hemoglobin levels and physical activity status during care planning, as these factors were associated with frailty.
• RNSurvey2025Loneliness in Older Adults Receiving Hemodialysis and Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study.The journal of nursing research : JNROlder hemodialysis patients reported loneliness scores averaging 41.5 on a 20 to 80 scale. Female sex, higher fatigue, and lower social support were associated with higher loneliness.
• OTRNCohort2025Correlates of Metamemory in Middle-Aged and Older Adults With and Without HIV in the Deep South: A Cross-Sectional Study.The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANACDepression and race were the strongest links to how accurately older adults judged their own memory. Those with depression or who underestimated their abilities reported more memory mistakes and less satisfaction. Objective memory impairment rates were similar between HIV-positive and negative groups.
• RNSystematic Review2026Nursing Interventions to Support Family Caregivers of Patients on Haemodialysis: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review.Journal of advanced nursingNursing-led caregiver programmes for haemodialysis families mostly improved quality of life, depression, anxiety and self-efficacy, but burden results were mixed. Use structured education, coping, support and follow-up, not information alone, because effects can fade.
• RNQualitative2025Perceptions Regarding mHealth for Self-Care Among Older Adults With Chronic Heart Failure, Family Caregivers and Health Care Professionals: A Qualitative Study.Nursing openPatients, caregivers and clinicians see mHealth as promising for heart failure self-care, wanting automatic symptom monitoring and direct communication with staff. However, they identify major barriers: older patients struggle with complex interfaces and poor vision, while staff lack the time and funding to maintain these systems.
• RNSurvey2026Stigma and healthcare professional support among adults with diabetes in Japan: A cross-sectional study.Japan journal of nursing science : JJNSJapanese adults with diabetes who reported more support from doctors and nurses had lower stigma scores. The links were clearer in those under 65 than in those 65 and older.
• RNQualitative2025The Lived Experiences of Family Caregivers in Caring for Older Adults at Risk of Falls: A Phenomenological Study.International journal of community based nursing and midwiferyNot knowing how to prevent falls, being exhausted, and making home changes were described by family caregivers of older adults at risk of falls. They also faced stigma around walking aids and relied on traditional healers after falls.
• PTRNOther2025Frailty and mobility in hospitalized older adults: an analytical cross sectional study.Revista brasileira de enfermagemFrail hospitalized older adults had much lower mobility than non-frail and prefrail patients. Prefrail and non-frail patients did not differ. This association was measured at admission, so it cannot show frailty caused the mobility loss.
• RNQualitative2025Stressors experienced by informal caregivers: implications for home care for dependent older adults.Revista brasileira de enfermagemInformal caregivers of dependent older adults described sleep deprivation, physical exhaustion, and financial strain as primary stressors. They relied on coping strategies like prayer and music, but these were insufficient to manage the high levels of emotional and physical overload they experienced.
• RNSystematic Review2025Identification of Quality Indicators Used to Monitor, Evaluate and Improve Rural and Remote Care for Older People: A Scoping Review.The Australian journal of rural healthOnly three of the 52 rural quality indicators specifically measured older adults; the other 49 covered whole rural populations. This maps what is monitored, not evidence that monitoring improves care.
• RNOther2025An Internet Hospital Plus Home Nursing Model for Chronic Disease Patients: Mixed-Methods Study in Tianjin, China.JMIR nursingHome nursing delivered after online doctor consultations served mostly older adults with cancer. Patients waited one to two days and reported near-perfect satisfaction. Simulated costs were lower than ambulance transfers, but the study lacked a control group, so it cannot prove the model works better than standard care.
• RNQualitative2026Nurses' and Patients' Perspectives on Care Coordination Across Health Care and Social Services Sectors: A Qualitative Study.The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmieresNurse coordinators and older patients or caregivers described care coordination as helped by trusted continuity, shared information, and clear roles, and hindered by territorial boundaries, unclear roles, and discharge pressures.
• RNOther2026Development and Psychometric Testing of the Inventory of Self-Care Decision-Making Styles of Older Adults.Research in nursing & healthA questionnaire for older adults measured self-care decision styles. Scores were stable on retesting, but a scale's items did not quite meet the study's target for working together, and some expected links were not found.
• RNSurvey2025Frailty and nursing care demand in hospitalized older adults: a cross-sectional study.Revista latino-americana de enfermagemFrail older adults in hospital were significantly more likely to need high-dependency or intensive nursing care than non-frail patients. Assessing frailty markers like grip strength and gait speed at admission helps predict who needs more staff time and specific care for mobility and hygiene.
• PTRNOther2025Promoting the Physical Activity of Older Adults in Institutional Long-Term Care: A Mixed-Method Case Study.International journal of older people nursingIn one long-term care unit, residents averaged 1.27 hours of light activity daily. Organised physical activity accounted for 7 minutes, about 7% of total. Nurses promoted activity mainly during daily care.
• RNCohort2026Clinical Performance of the Remote After-Hours Telemedicine Medical Officer of the Day (Tele-MOD) Program: A Cohort Study.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationEmergency department visits, hospitalizations, readmissions, and costs were lower after the first Tele-MOD visit in 492 VA nursing home Veterans. Most were managed in place, but this pre-post study cannot prove the program caused the reductions.
• RNCohort2026End-of-life care utilization of older adults with heart failure and/or COPD: the role of family availability.Heart & lung : the journal of critical careFor older adults with heart failure or COPD near the end of life, having a spouse in Utah was linked to higher hospitalization rates; having a spouse without children was linked to higher emergency visit rates. The study did not show that spouses caused this.
• PTOTRNOther2025Examining Handgrip Strength in Persons Living With HIV in United States, Thailand, and South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Study.The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANACPeople living with HIV had lower handgrip strength than age and gender reference norms at every age group. In women, strength decreased with age; low grip was not linked to medication adherence or physical, social, or pain scores.
• RNCohort2025Implementation of a Continuous Video Monitoring Program to Decrease Inpatient Falls in a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital Setting: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.The American journal of nursingIn a long-term acute care hospital, inpatient falls declined from 4.9 to 3.8 per 1,000 patient-days after a continuous video monitoring program with technicians and nurse supervisor workflows. The paper does not show that any single part caused the change.
• RNOther2025Effectiveness of the Comprehensive-Humanized Care Model in nursing consultation: a case study with older adults.Revista brasileira de enfermagemIn six older adults receiving nursing consultation, nutrition and family scores changed, spirituality rose, and anxiety increased from 6.8 to 13.8. Gait and social resources were reported as unchanged. This is not proof the model works.
• PTRNMeta-Analysis2025Evidence-Based Pathways to Healthy Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Lifestyle Interventions for Longevity and Well-Being.Investigacion y educacion en enfermeriaOlder adults who followed Mediterranean diet, exercised, slept well, and stayed socially active showed better cardiovascular fitness, strength, balance, mood, and cognition. These are broad lifestyle effects, not a single proven treatment.
• RNQualitative2025Elderly Medical Patients' Experience of an Acute Readmission to the Emergency Department-An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesOlder adults readmitted to an emergency department felt trapped by fragmented care. They needed a clear explanation, someone who believed them, and support from family or one trusted clinician. Missing these made them doubt symptoms and lose trust.
• RNSurvey2025Examining Social Support and Digital Literacy Among Caregivers of People Living With Dementia Receiving Hospice Services.The American journal of hospice & palliative careCaregiving stressors were associated with depressive symptoms. Social support and digital literacy did not explain that link, so support-focused or tech-focused help alone may not protect caregivers.
• PTOTRNOther2025Functionality and cognition of older adults hospitalized in a university hospital.Revista brasileira de enfermagemHospitalized older adults commonly had probable cognitive deficit and partial dependence in instrumental activities. Those aged 80 or older had more basic-activity dependence and probable cognitive deficit; age group did not show an association with instrumental activity dependence.
• RNOther2025Burden, coping strategies, and family caregivers of older people with clinical frailty in the COVID-19 context.Revista brasileira de enfermagemFamily caregivers of frail older adults in Brazil reported emotional and financial burden, health worsening, and reliance on family support and religious coping. Nurses can ask caregivers about burden and support gaps.
• PTOTRNCohort2026Healing at Home: Receipt of Home Health Care and Patient-Centered Outcomes Among Older Adults After Acute Myocardial Infarction.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationHome health care after AMI made no significant difference to days not at home in older adults. It was linked to a lower chance of a 5-point or greater physical health status decline.
• OTRNQualitative2025Experiences and Perceptions of Functional Recovery in Late-Life Depression: A Qualitative Study.International journal of mental health nursingOlder adults recovering from depression described functional recovery as pushing through low motivation, accepting changed abilities, managing pain and fatigue, and relying on routines, family, pets and feeling understood.
• RNOther2025Myocardial Infarction and Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Older Patients in Primary Care.Revista brasileira de enfermagem10.5% of 1,322 older primary-care patients in northern Brazil had myocardial infarction. MI was more frequent with hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and kidney disease; smoking was not.
• RNSurvey2025Factors associated with oral frailty in elderly stroke patients in Eastern China.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PHalf of 300 hospitalized elderly stroke patients met oral frailty criteria. Older age, smoking, prior stroke, few teeth, chewing difficulty, poor oral health and low social support were linked. Nurses can screen with the Oral Frailty Index-8.
• PTRNCohort2025Cognitive and physical functions among Chinese community-dwelling older adults with motoric cognitive risk syndrome: A prospective cohort study.International journal of nursing sciencesIn 4,217 Chinese older adults, those with motoric cognitive risk syndrome had lower cognition and physical function, and both groups declined over follow-up. Adults without it showed better global cognition and repeated chair stand performance, but worse visuospatial ability.
• RNQualitative2025Interface between falls and perceptions of quality of life of older adults: a qualitative study.Revista brasileira de enfermagemOlder adults who had fallen often treated falls as normal, then reduced church, market and supermarket visits because fear of another fall. They wanted home changes, support networks and acceptance of limits to stay independent.
• RNSurvey2025Informal Caregiving in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Multimorbidity: A Cross-European Study of Caregiver Burden, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Caregiver Engagement.The Journal of cardiovascular nursingInformal caregivers of people with atrial fibrillation and other long-term conditions reported moderate burden and anxiety, but typical self-rated health was 80 out of 100. Higher engagement was linked with less burden and better health.
• RNOther2025Factors associated with death in severe patients with COVID-19/diabetes mellitus in Brazil.Revista brasileira de enfermagemIn severe COVID-19 cases with diabetes, older age, kidney disease, respiratory distress, low oxygen saturation, and ventilatory support were associated with higher death risk, not proof they caused death.
• RNOther2026The Use of Nonpharmacologic Approaches to Pain Management Among Nursing Home Residents.Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management NursesMost nursing home residents with dementia received at least one nonpharmacologic pain approach; positioning was the most common. More approaches were associated with more oral pain medicines, diabetes, and less cognitive impairment. The study did not show these approaches reduced pain.
• RNRCT2025Cognitive Training Intervention Adherence in Older Women with Cardiovascular Disease: A Secondary Analysis of the MindMoves Trial.The Journal of cardiovascular nursingOlder women with cardiovascular disease completed an average of 1.6 of 3 prescribed weekly cognitive training sessions, dropping to 0.7 later. Higher income, education, and having a partner were associated with better adherence; health, technology, and loneliness were not.
• RNRCT2026Investigating the effectiveness of mobilisation alarms to prevent hospital falls using disinvestment: A randomised clinical trial.International journal of nursing studiesReducing mobilisation alarms on hospital wards did not increase falls beyond an agreed limit, but eliminating them did not meet that limit. Patients in eliminated wards reported less sleep disturbance. Reduce carefully rather than remove.
• RNSurvey2026Resource Factors Associated With Avoidable Transfers in Nursing Homes.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationNursing home transfers were more often judged avoidable when staff were uncomfortable with the resident's change in condition or an advanced practice registered nurse or RN was unavailable. Onsite clinician and equipment gaps were more often linked to transfers judged unavoidable.