The randomized controlled trial of the Geriatric Evaluation Unit (GEU) at the Sepulveda Veterans Hospital was the first to document the clinical and cost-effectiveness of hospital-based comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). Frail elderly inpatients were assigned randomly to the GEU for CGA, therapy, rehabilitation, and placement (N = 63), or to standard hospital care (N = 60). At one year, ...

Cancer care at the extremes of life, in the young and the old, is characterized by unique issues associated with pediatrics and geriatric medicine, accentuated by the special vulnerabilities of these groups. In response to these needs, the field of pediatric oncology has been well honed to deal with the special problems associated with juvenile cancer patients. While most adult oncologists cons...

Older adults with cancer present a unique set of management complexities for oncologists and radiation oncologists. Prognosis and resilience to cancer treatments are notably dependent on the presence or risk of "geriatric syndromes," in addition to cancer stage and histology. Recognition, proper evaluation, and management of these conditions in conjunction with management of the cancer itself a...

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of outpatient geriatric consultation by referring academic physicians and to verify the results of a previous study. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of charts of 37 patients referred for geriatric consultation during a 7-month period of a university- and community-hospital-affiliated family practice residency clinic...

BACKGROUND Dementelcoach is a new telephone intervention to support informal caregivers of community dwelling people with dementia. The effectiveness of this intervention was evaluated on burden and mental health problems of informal caregivers. METHODS A pre-test/post-test comparison group design was used with three groups of informal caregivers.Two of the groups were experimental and receiv...

BACKGROUND unplanned hospital admissions of older patients continue to attract the attention of UK policymakers, advisors and media. Reducing the number and length of stay (LOS) of these admissions has the potential to save NHS substantial costs while reducing iatrogenic risks. Some NHS trusts have introduced geriatric admission-avoidance systems, but evidence of their effectiveness is lacking....

Nursing home (NH) residents represent the frailest group of older people, and providing gerontologically attuned care that addresses these frailties is often a challenge within the emergency department (ED). This study sought to prospectively profile acutely unwell NH residents in order to clarify some of the challenges of providing emergency care to this group. Over an 18-week period, we prosp...

Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous cancer in US men and mainly affects elderly patients, with most new diagnoses occurring in those over 65. As the geriatric population in the US continues to grow, the incidence of this disease is likewise expected to rise. Many older patients are diagnosed with advanced disease or are treated only when their disease becomes symptomatic or metasta...

Korean elders: a population based study. International Psychogeriatrics, 30, 1–10. Pellfolk, T., Gustadsson, T., Gustafson, Y. and Karlsson, S. (2009). Risk factors for falls among residents with dementia living in group dwellings. International Psychogeriatrics, 21, 187–194. Stewart, I., Knight, C. and Johnson, C. (2008). Just how challenging can older people be? Part 2: Making the case for sp...

INTRODUCTION Providing geriatric assessments to older people residing in rural or remote areas is a challenge due to the complexities of distance and a declining medical workforce. This study aimed to develop a feasible model of service delivery in a rural area, delivering specialised falls and memory clinics similar to those available in the metropolitan area. At the end of the first 20 months...