Common physical function test may be skewed by height and age, new study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 15, 2022
Sit-to-stand and gait-speed test performance is significantly affected by these factors, investigators say. They’ve developed a web app to help clinicians develop their own subgroup-specific reference...
Pandemic isolation has led to more falls among seniors, online survey finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 21, 2021
For some seniors, pandemic isolation has created a perfect storm of physical inactivity and deconditioning that has resulted in increased falls risk and greater fear of falling, researchers say.
Seniors more fearful of falling after months of low physical activity
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 04, 2021
More than a quarter of older adults say they are in worse physical condition now than before the pandemic, and nearly half age 65 and older have become more afraid of falling, a new poll finds.
Helping seniors hear better may slow declining physical function, new findings suggest
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 16, 2021
The study linked hearing impairment to faster functional decline — particularly in seniors’ balance skills. As a treatable condition, hearing loss may be a target for interventions, improving quality...
‘Pragmatic’ heart failure rehab benefits frail seniors, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
May 27, 2021
Physical dysfunction problems often are overlooked in the care of older, frail patients with acute heart failure. But these patients find greater functional and quality of life benefits from early, transitional,...
Is your facility prepared for returning families?
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Mar 02, 2021
If all goes well, over the next few weeks there will be an increasing number of family members visiting their loved ones in the nursing home, many for the first time in a year. Along with the joy and relief...
Strength training tailored to older men and women maximizes benefits, physiologists say
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 08, 2021
Older men and women may be better served by a resistance training program that recognizes sex differences in how and where they build muscle, a new analysis finds.
Residents’ physical decline tied to extended anticholinergic, sedative use
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 04, 2020
Long-term exposure to anticholinergic and sedative medications is linked to reduced physical function — though not cognitive function — in nursing home residents.
Reduced activity in early Parkinson’s not solely age-related: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 12, 2019
Physical activity is reduced in early stages of Parkinson’s disease, and it appears that the decline is not solely due to aging, researchers say.
Lonely elders at increased risk for physical decline, death, study finds
By
McKnight's Staff
Jun 19, 2012
Seniors who self-identify as being lonely are at a higher risk for physical decline, death and admission to a nursing home, new research suggests.