Geriatrics

Aging in place: Why home care must replace nursing homes

Physician

August 9, 2025

I have been a physician for 44 years.

Besides my office and hospital practice, I also make house calls for less mobile older adults. We all want to stay in the homes where we raised our children, cared for our gardens, and became part of the community. The reality is that we lack the tools and financial resources needed for seniors to “age in place.”

My house calls, though, have provided insights …

Is “do no harm” the most misunderstood phrase in medicine? [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 7, 2025

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Psychiatrist Sabooh S. Mubbashar discusses his article, “Why ‘do no harm’ might be harming modern medicine.” He reveals that the principle “First, do no harm,” or Primum non nocere, is not part of the original Hippocratic Oath but a later, misattributed addition that has become a dangerously oversimplified slogan. …

Eric Topol explores the science of super-agers and healthy aging [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 16, 2025

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Cardiologist and author Eric Topol discusses his article, “What super agers can teach us about longevity and health span,” which is an excerpt from his new book, Read more…

Eric Topol explores the science of super-agers and healthy aging [PODCAST]

How community paramedicine impacts Indigenous elders

Noah Weinberg

Conditions

June 26, 2025

Tucked along the edge of the frigid James Bay, Moosonee stands as one of Northern Ontario’s most remote and storied communities—a place often referred to as the “Gateway to the Arctic.” While towns like Thunder Bay or Rainy River echo similar titles, Moosonee carries its own unique distinctions.

This isolated town of about 3,000 people is shaped by its subarctic climate, deep cultural roots, and resilient spirit. Read more…

How community paramedicine impacts Indigenous elders

Why health care must adapt to meet the needs of older adults with disabilities

Lynn A. Schaefer, PhD

Conditions

June 14, 2025

We all know the population is aging, but did you know that close to half of all adults over age 65 in the U.S. have some kind of disability? The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) includes as a disability any “physical or mental impairment that limits one or more life activities” or a history or record of such impairment.

Thus, disabilities include: physical limitations such as mobility issues, pain, and fatigue; …

What super agers can teach us about longevity and health span

Eric Topol, MD

Conditions

May 27, 2025

An excerpt from Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity.

For many years, my colleagues and I have been fascinated by individuals like Mrs. L. R., who are so lucky to be so resilient to diseases. In 2008, we set up a research project called “Wellderly,” to study people who were at least eighty years old and had never been sick or had a chronic illness. It took almost six …

How society forgets the invisible elderly and why their stories matter

Nancie Wiseman Attwater

Conditions

February 16, 2025

Age should not define a person or diminish respect from others. There is a generation of people overlooked every day, and little attention is paid to this growing problem.

As people age, they may become less visible within their communities. It can seem like people who once smiled as they walked by begin passing without a glance. Seniors may feel like unwanted outsiders in society. Sadly, many participate in their own …

Read more…

How society forgets the invisible elderly and why their stories matter

Communicating with your doctor online could cost you

Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD

Physician

February 16, 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated medical communication as patients and doctors utilized computer technology to manage health care that was not available a decade ago.

Hospitals and doctors maintain online medical records that enable patients to access personal information about ongoing issues. “Portals” allow users to view lab tests, imaging results, pathology reports, and progress notes. The computer “message” system also enables patients to communicate with their physicians or other health care …

Antipsychotic use has been rising in long-term care homes, but we can do something about it

Sid Feldman, MD and Julie Weir, BSN

Meds

January 31, 2025

As health care providers working in long-term care (LTC), we’ve seen firsthand how antipsychotic medications are prescribed to residents, and why. Antipsychotics are often used to help manage behaviors such as agitation and aggression in older adults living with dementia. They may be helpful for some patients, but antipsychotics can do more harm than good for many, especially when used long-term.

Now a new report has highlighted this as a …

Solving the health care dilemma: Why older adults are skipping vital care

Michael Pessman

Conditions

September 28, 2024

As a gerontologist, it is disheartening to engage with older adults who express disinterest in routine medical check-ups. Many of these individuals outright refuse to follow doctors’ orders or take prescribed medications. This troubling trend is not only a growing problem in America but also a critical issue that warrants our collective attention and action.

The advancements in modern medicine have significantly prolonged life spans and improved the quality of life …

How seniors can reverse muscle loss and belly fat

Stephen C. Schimpff, MD

Conditions

September 11, 2024

As a retired physician, I notice many seniors become skinny and weak due to muscle loss yet have big bellies as fat accumulates. They are less strong, less vibrant, and prone to falls and chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and cognitive decline. This does not need to happen, but many older people do not appreciate the health and wellness impacts of muscle loss …

Hope from an older doctor to those patients ready to give up their car keys

Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD

Conditions

September 1, 2024

When you are older, you are considered a threat to other drivers. Reflexes are dampened, muscle responses are sluggish, cataracts obscure vision, and inflexible eye lenses slow focus.

Cars are made to drive fast, and many whippersnappers navigate the streets as if they are at the Indianapolis 500. How many times have you been tailgated and honked at from behind when traveling at the posted speed limit?

And should there be an …

Embracing data-driven solutions to prevent falls

Christine Gall, DrPH

Conditions

August 28, 2024

Released in 2000, the landmark report “To Err is Human” aimed to transform patient safety by highlighting the prevalence of medical errors and their devastating impact. The report underscored various issues, including medication errors, falls, and surgical complications, garnering widespread attention and spurring significant improvements in certain areas of patient safety. As a result of this increased focus, tools like the World Health Organization’s Surgical Safety …

How neurologists can repair the home of broken promises

Harsh Moolani

Conditions

June 19, 2024

“I broke our only promise,” swelling with guilt, Sarah wept as she stumbled out of the front door. Two years ago, her father asked her to never leave him in a nursing home. They pinky promised.

But how could anyone have predicted what would follow in the upcoming years? His dementia progressively worsened, complicated by falls every three months. Despite balancing his growing needs while also providing for her family, there …

Let’s help grow more intergenerational connections

Paula Rochon, MD, MPH, Rachel Savage, PhD, and Jen Recknagel

Conditions

June 18, 2024

There are few things more satisfying than seeing young people and older adults interacting with each other and building an effortless sense of community and belonging. Robust communities include all ages. But such spaces need help to develop and thrive.

Global Intergenerational Week, a celebration of the power of bringing together younger and older people for the benefit of all, has completed its third year. Started in Scotland, this positive initiative …

Secret support for this family caregiver

Aine M. Greaney

Conditions

May 19, 2024

Last month, while spring cleaning my home-based office, I faced off with a bookshelf full of past writing journals.

Get rid of them (I coaxed myself). Whatever you wrote here is history now.

My inner packrat resisted. Couldn’t I just box them up and move them to the basement to join all those other journals that, together, chronicle my three-plus decades of living in the United States?

One gray-covered notebook with pink post-it …

Too many older adults are taking risky sedative medications

Wendy Levinson, MD and Christine Soong, MD

Meds

April 14, 2024

A recent investigation in Quebec uncovered a concerning trend: benzodiazepines — medications commonly used for sleep or anxiety — are being overprescribed. This investigation has prompted the Quebec College of Physicians to closely examine the usage of these medications.

But this issue extends beyond Quebec’s borders; across Canada, these medications are being prescribed at alarming rates.

Benzodiazepines and other sedatives are often prescribed to older adults aged 65 and up for …

Polypharmacy and prescribing cascades [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 11, 2024

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Join us for a discussion on medication awareness and prescribing cascades with Paula Rochon, a geriatrician. As we embark on a new year, many focus on diet and exercise resolutions, but overlooking medication …

A geriatrician’s transformative walk in Italy

Paula Rochon, MD

Physician

March 16, 2024

I just walked about 90 km in six days along the Via Matildica del Volto Santo between Mantua and Lucca through the Appenine mountains in the Emilia Romagna region of northern Italy. This beautiful, lesser-known route, crossing regions once ruled by the formidable Countess Matilda of Canossa, offered a unique blend of physical challenges and the opportunity to connect with history.

As a geriatrician committed to enhancing the health and well-being …

Exploring the benefits of Dry January for older adults [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

March 12, 2024

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We sit down with Michael Pessman, a gerontologist, to discuss the unique risks older adults face with alcohol consumption. We’ll explore the enhanced physical and mental health benefits of participating in Dry January, …

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