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.

502 PAPERS · PAGE 7 OF 11 · NEWEST FIRST

• RNQualitative2026A Descriptive Qualitative Study of Patient and Carer Perspectives on the Acceptability of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.Journal of advanced nursingPatients valued TAVI for relieving breathlessness and restoring independence, but discharge left them anxious due to missing information about the procedure's success and physical limits. Carers reported feeling uninformed about what happened during surgery and how to support recovery.
• PTOTRNRCT2025Pulmonary Rehabilitation Exercise Package for Enhancing Health in Elderly COPD Patients With Frailty: An Experimental Study.The journal of nursing research : JNRA 4-week pulmonary rehabilitation package significantly reduced shortness of breath and improved walking distance and leg strength in frail older adults with COPD compared to routine care. It also reduced frailty scores at one month. The intervention included breathing exercises, bed exercises, and education.
• RNOther2026Research Priorities for Nursing and Allied Health: A Priority-Setting Project Using a Partnership Approach.Journal of advanced nursingPatients, carers and clinicians in two Australian hospitals prioritised access, patient journey, streamlining care, dementia and delirium, mental health, older adults, carers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and workforce. These are nursing and allied health research priorities, not tested care changes.
• PTRNCase Report2026Review of Perioperative Care in Elderly Patients With Esophageal Hiatal Hernia and Cardiopulmonary Disease.Gastroenterology nursing : the official journal of the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and AssociatesAn 86-year-old man with a large hiatal hernia and heart failure completed laparoscopic repair after multidisciplinary prehabilitation, monitoring, and infection care. He left hospital 11 days after surgery and had no symptoms at 3 and 6 months.
• OTRNCohort2025Skilled Nursing Facility Population Characteristics and Length of Stay: A Prospective Cohort Study.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationResidents dependent in daily activities and those with vascular or surgical devices stayed longer in a skilled nursing facility; dependence in daily activities was the strongest factor tied to longer stays.
• PTRNOther2025Assessment of Fall Risk in Community-Dwelling Older Adults Using the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries Algorithm.Nursing openSTEADI screening found 59.6% of community older adults at fall risk, versus 39.5% by questionnaire alone. Physical tests added mobility, balance, and strength concerns. Participants set goals for safety and exercise.
• RNCohort2025Frailty and arteriovenous fistula patency in elderly hemodialysis patients: a retrospective cohort study.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PFrail elderly hemodialysis patients required significantly more surgical interventions to keep their fistulas working. They also had higher mortality and longer delays before first use. These findings suggest fistula creation may offer fewer short-term benefits for this group.
• RNSystematic Review2026A Systematic Review of the Needs of Children and Young People of a Parent Diagnosed With Young-Onset-Dementia: Informing a Nursing Intervention.Journal of advanced nursingChildren with a parent diagnosed with young-onset dementia carry heavy caregiving loads that disrupt school, sleep and social life. They often hide their parent's condition due to stigma and lack age-appropriate support from health and education services.
• RNQualitative2025Family Caregivers' Experiences With Follow-Up Healthcare for Frontotemporal Dementia: A Narrative Inquiry.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesFamily caregivers of people with frontotemporal dementia felt sidelined when patients still had consent capacity, and said staff lacked FTD knowledge, leaving care unsafe and not personalised.
• RNOther2025Characterizing symptom clusters for older adults with urinary incontinence in home healthcare.Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.)Most home healthcare episodes for older adults with urinary incontinence had no tracked symptoms documented. When symptoms appeared, anxiety, dizziness, constipation, and a complex all-symptom cluster emerged; dizziness-anxiety was tied to a history of two or more falls.
• OTRNQualitative2026Structural Resilience Across the Life Course: Perspectives From Older Adults Racialized as Black.Journal of advanced nursingOlder adults racialized as Black described community and societal resources such as schools, healthcare, housing, and community groups as safeguarding, empowering, or restoring them across life. Financial support, home modifications, and hospice care were part of these accounts.
• RNCohort2025Beyond Somatic Multimorbidity: Longitudinal Effects of Edentulism and Mental Health on Cognition in Older Adults.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationIn older adults with chronic conditions, complete tooth loss was linked to faster cognitive decline over time. Mental health conditions alone were linked to lower starting cognition but not faster decline.
• OTRNOther2025Adverse Social Determinants of Health and Urinary Incontinence Among Older Adult Women in Home Health Care.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationOlder women in home health care with documented unsafe housing, financial strain, or food insecurity were more likely to have urinary incontinence. Ask about these social risks and consider continence evaluation and home modifications.
• PTOTRNOther2025Stigma Towards Hospitalised Older Adults: A Concept Analysis.Nursing openHospitalised older adults face stigma as age-based assumptions, exclusion from decisions, neglected pain care and rehabilitation, and dismissive communication. These practices are associated with withdrawal, poorer recovery, disability and delayed discharge.
• OTRNSystematic Review2026How Can We Improve Personal Care Interactions to Reduce Care Refusals From People With Dementia? A Realist Synthesis.Journal of advanced nursingPeople with dementia may accept personal care when they trust the caregiver and feel safe. The synthesis proposes strategies like offering limited choices, connecting respectfully, simplifying care, and addressing pain or thirst first. These are proposed theories, not tested interventions.
• PTOTRNCohort2025Frailty, Nutrition, and Quality of Life in Urban-Dwelling Older Adults Facing Vulnerability: Observational Study in Primary Heath Care Settings in Underpopulated Areas.Nursing & health sciencesPoor functional independence and performance were the strongest indicators of vulnerability in older adults in Brazilian primary care, and poor nutrition was also linked. Quality of life was linked to vulnerability but was not analyzed as a predictor.
• RNPilot2025Exploring the Feasibility of the LEAD Trial: Online Dyadic Dementia Care Planning for Early Alzheimer's and Other Dementias.The American journal of hospice & palliative careCare partners' confidence in making medical decisions improved and stayed high for six months. Their relationship strain with the person with dementia also dropped. The web-based planning tool was feasible but did not change the care recipients' own relationship scores.
• OTSLPRNQualitative2026Bridging the Social Gap Through 'Conscious Caring': A Constructivist Grounded Theory of the Art of Caring for Older Adults With Dual Sensory Impairment.Journal of advanced nursingFamily carers of older adults with dual vision and hearing loss described becoming the communication bridge in daily life and health care visits. They said the impairment was often mistaken for normal ageing, leaving them isolated and unsupported by task-focused services.
• RNOther2026Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the MISSCARE Survey-Patient-Danish Version.Journal of advanced nursingAn adapted MISSCARE survey let Danish hospital patients report missed nursing care, especially gaps in physical, emotional and relational care, but it was not tested again over time.
• 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.