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Washington University in St. Louis News & Information > News Topics > Culture & Living > Aging >
Caregiving for Older Americans
With advancements in medicine and health care, many older Americans are able to live independently much later into life. When assistance does become necessary, quality of care becomes a critical concern at any level, from in-home care to full service nursing facilities. Experts below are available to discuss topics including advances in care options for the elderly, Medicare and strategies for helping older Americans remain independent longer.
| Faculty Experts: |
Showing Caregiving for Older Americans Experts 1 through 5 of 7.
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Timothy McBride
Associate Dean for Public Health
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| McBride |
Tim McBride has been active in testifying before Congress and consulting with important policy constituencies on Medicare, insurance and rural health policy issues. He is a member of the Rural Policy Research Institute Health Panel that provides expert advice on rural health issues to the U.S. Congress ...
Expertise: Health insurance, universal health care, public health, Medicare policy, health economics, gerontology and Social Security, state health policy, …
Direct contact: 314-935-4356
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tmcbride@wustl.edu
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David Carr
Associate Professor of Medicine and Neurology
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| Carr |
Carr's interests are in caring for older adults in outpatient and long-term care settings. His current projects include research on the safety of older drivers, and evaluating the efficacy of units dedicated to oncology acute care and cardiology acute care for the elderly.
Carr is the clinical director ...
Expertise: geriatrics, nutritional science, memory, aging
Media assistance: (314) 286-0109 / reckessg@wustl.edu
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Edward Lawlor
Dean and the William E. Gordon Professor
Edward Lawlor is a nationally-recognized expert in healthcare policy, particularly in the areas of medical indigence, health-care reform and administration, and policy for the aged and poor.
His groundbreaking work in Medicare policy is recognized for its originality and insightful analysis. Lawlor's ...
Expertise: health care policy, medical indigence, health care reform, health care administration, policy for the aged, policy for poor, Medicare
Direct contact: (314) 935-6693
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elawlor@wustl.edu
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Nancy Morrow-Howell
Ralph and Muriel Pumphrey Professor of Social Work
Nancy Morrow-Howell studies many issues of concern to the elderly and their families, including adequacy of care for the dependent elderly, community care plans for the elderly, and use of mental health services. She is studying the health and mental health services needed and used by older adults ...
Expertise: elder care, gerontology, productive aging, depression
Direct contact: (314) 935-6762
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morrow-howell@wustl.edu
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Brian Carpenter
Associate Professor of Psychology in Arts & Sciences
Carpenter's research focuses on the clinical psychology of aging, with an emphasis on family relationships in late life. Recent work explores the ways family members work together to make decisions regarding older adults. Other studies have examined whether adult children really know what their older ...
Expertise: Alzheimer's disease, attachment bonds, clinical psychology of aging, death and dying, dementia, depression, doctor-patient communication, …
Direct contact: (314) 935-8212
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bcarpenter@wustl.edu
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Showing Caregiving for Older Americans Experts 1 through 5 of 7.
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| News Stories & Tip Sheets: |
Showing Caregiving for Older Americans Stories 1 through 3 of 21.
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China's rapidly aging population -- part of a worldwide trend
The global demographic shift is a significant opportunity as long as it is in tandem with a policy and cultural shift, say productive aging experts
Oct. 14,
2009 -- China's population of adults over 65 tops 100 million. This number is steadily growing, putting China at the forefront of a global demographic shift that includes the United States and other developed nations. "While a common tendency is to focus on the burdens an aging population will place on a country's economic and social welfare, an aging society represents an opportunity, not just a crisis," says Nancy Morrow-Howell, Ph.D., productive aging expert and professor at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. "Expanding opportunities for productive engagement, including paid employment, formal volunteering, and mutual aid, may reduce social costs by reducing health care expenses and need for post-retirement income supports. (Video available)
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Health care reform will not be highest priority
Public health experts discuss upcoming health care legislation
Dec. 3,
2008 -- Barack Obama will need to act swiftly in his first 100 days as president to resolve the domestic crises facing the nation, but concerns about the economy mean that health care reform will not be the highest priority during that time, says leading public health experts at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL). Debra Haire-Joshu, Ph.D., professor of social work and medicine at WUSTL, and Timothy McBride, Ph.D., associate dean for public health at WUSTL's George Warren Brown School of Social Work, are available to discuss health care legislation under Obama. Haire-Joshu served in Obama's congressional office and McBride is part of the nationally representative Rural Policy Research Institute's Health Panel.
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U.S. health care system headed for perfect storm
Number of uninsured, rising costs, long term care and an aging population could force a major system overhaul, says leading health economist
Sept. 12,
2008 --
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| McBride |
"We are headed into a time when a confluence of changes are going to lead to a perfect storm, making us finally realize that our health care system needs a major overhaul," says Timothy D. McBride, Ph.D., leading health economist and professor of social work. McBride is available to discuss candidates' health care plans and universal health care.
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Showing Caregiving for Older Americans Stories 1 through 3 of 21.
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David Holtzman: Attacking Alzheimer's With a New Test for Amyloid Beta
U.S. News & World Report online
July 1,
2009 -- WUSTL neuroscientist David Holtzman and colleagues have devised a test that shows whether an experimental medication has a chance of working in Alzheimer's patients.
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Early Alzheimer's, think less efficiently
United Press International
and 2 others
May 5,
2009 -- Alzheimer's patients sift the important from less important less efficiently early on, according to a study conducted by WUSTL researchers.
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Hypoglycemia linked to dementia
Science News Web edition
April 14,
2009 -- A single episode of low blood sugar severe enough to require prompt medical attention increases a person's risk of developing dementia in old age, a study in people with diabetes suggests. "This is a worrisome association," says WUSTL endocrinologist Philip Cryer. But he cautions that an association doesn't prove that one factor causes the other.
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Settlements In Mental Health Cases Face Scrutiny
NPR All Things Considered
March 31,
2009 -- In some cases the Justice Department can intervene to make state-run institutions comply with civil rights laws. The statute is known as CRIPA -- the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. WUSTL law professor Margo Schlanger, who used to work on CRIPA cases as a Justice Department attorney comments.
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Antidepressant Eases Anxiety in Older Adults
The Washington Post
and 4 others
Jan. 21,
2009 -- In the largest study of SSRIs in older people with anxiety disorders, a team of psychiatric researchers found the drug escitalopram improved anxiety symptoms and quality of life. The study was conducted by WUSTL associate professor of psychiatry Dr. Eric J. Lenze while at the University of Pittsburgh. His team studied 177 people over the age of 60.
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Never Say Die
Newsweek
and 1 others
Dec. 8,
2008 -- Anne Underwood writes on the biology of aging and anti-aging research being done by scientists, including WUSTL nutritional sciences professor Luigi Fontana, who is tracking the progress of 45 members of the Calorie Restriction Society.
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Learning How to Walk (Chewing Gum Not Included)
The New York Times
and 15 others
Nov. 13,
2008 -- Aches and pains may be a result of walking incorrectly. Yoga practices have helped some people relearn how to walk. WUSTL orthopaedic surgery professor Heidi Prather warns that breaking bad habits is no easy task.
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Unhealthy Meals Dull Older Diabetics' Memory
U.S. News & World Report
and 5 others
June 27,
2008 -- Older adults with type 2 diabetes are apt to have memory problems after eating a meal loaded with fat, but a new study has found the damage can be undone if they take antioxidant vitamins along with the unhealthy food. More study is definitely needed, said Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at WUSTL.
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Celebrex, Naproxen Won't Prevent Mental Decline
U.S. News & World Report
and 9 others
May 13,
2008 -- Contrary to prior studies, a new trial shows that daily use of two popular pain-relieving drugs, Celebrex and naproxen, does not prevent cognitive decline in people with a family history of Alzheimer's disease. WUSTL neurology professor John Morris, who is director of WUSTL's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and a member of the medical and scientific advisory council for the Alzheimer's Association, comments.
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Study Details New Molecular Approach to Preventing Alzheimer's
The Washington Post
and 7 others
April 25,
2008 -- German researchers are reporting a new approach to the possible prevention of the molecular "debris" that's associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease.
WUSTL neurology professor James Galvin called the German research "a novel idea."
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Longevity quest moves slowly from lab to life
MSNBC.com
and 2 others
April 23,
2008 -- Human studies plus laboratory work with yeast, worms, flies and rodents are propelling scientists closer to understanding what causes aging, how to delay it -- and how to translate such progress from the lab to real life.
One of the studies mentioned was the first calorie restriction clinical trials conducted by WUSTL and LSU.
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Gut Check: Why Doctors Say Not All Fat Is Created Equal
The Wall Street Journal
and 2 others
April 15,
2008 -- The recent report that having a pot belly in your 40s roughly triples your risk of dementia in later life is just the tip of an ominous iceberg. WUSTL research on liposuction in which found no change in the women's cholesterol levels, triglycerides, insulin sensitivity or other health risks. "If they had lost that much fat by dieting, they would have substantially improved their metabolic profile, but they didn't," says Samuel Klein, director of WUSM's Center for Human Nutrition and the study's principal investigator.
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Researchers zero in on Alzheimer's plaque origin
Agence France Presse
and 13 others
April 10,
2008 -- WUSTL researchers have found that a key ingredient for the formation of Alzheimer's plaques is produced by a brain cell activity. WUSTL neurology professor and the study's first author John Cirrito comments.
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McCain works to answer age and health questions
Boston Globe
and 5 others
March 27,
2008 -- David Carr, clinical director of WUSTL's division of geriatrics and nutritional science, said the fact that McCain has gone five years without a melanoma recurrence is good news.
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Researchers Pinpoint Link Between Caloric Restriction and Longevity
CBC News (Canada)
and 7 others
Sept. 21,
2007 -- Harvard researchers report in the Sept. 21 issue of Cell that they have uncovered a molecular clue that seems to explain why cutting calories might lengthen your life.
It turns out that mitochondria guard against cell death, and two specific genes within the mitochondria actually carry out that task. Mitochondria are compartments within a cell that are dedicated to energy production, and their loss is thought to be a major cause of aging.
WUSTL molecular biology and pharmacology professor Shin-ichiro Imai comments on the Harvard study.
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Retirement Cash: Will You Have Enough?
Readers Digest (NY)
Sept. 7,
2007 -- There's a gap between the dream of retirement and the reality Americans face. A recent study from WUSTL School of Social Work estimates that 4 out of 10 people over age 60 will fall below the poverty line at some point in their later years. Countless more will watch their dream retirement fade as they discover that their savings barely cover their immediate needs. But the prospect of fiscal free fall has yet to alter most Americans' behavior, and baby boomers are saving a scant third of what they'll need.
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Humor Hampered By Aging Brain?
CBSNews.com
and 1 others
Aug. 6,
2007 -- Age-related brain changes may make it harder for older adults to understand humor, a new study shows.
The study comes from WUSTL psychology graduate student Wingyun Mak and psychology professor Brian Carpenter.
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Joke comprehension may decrease with age, study at St. Louis university suggests
International Herald Tribune (France)
and 206 others
July 11,
2007 -- It's no laughing matter: a new study suggests older adults have a harder time getting jokes as they age.
The research indicates that because older adults may have greater difficulty with cognitive flexibility, abstract reasoning and short-term memory, they also have greater difficulty with tests of humor comprehension.
The research conducted by WUSTL graduate student Wingyun Mak and WUSTL psychology professor Brian Carpenter.
Findings were published earlier this month in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.
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How Depression Weakens the Brain
The Wall Street Journal
July 3,
2007 -- In findings that highlight the importance of mood and stress to maintaining a healthy brain, researchers and psychiatrists say that a bout of depression may raise the risks of developing dementia later in life.
Article mentions research by WUSTL psychiatry professor Yvette Sheline. Her study showed that people with more days of depression untreated by antidepressants, at any point in their lives, exhibit an average 10% reduction in volume in the hippocampus, which may result in subtle changes to their memory capabilities, The study appeared in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
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How to Talk About Aging
Newsweek
June 11,
2007 -- A recent survey by AARP found that nearly 70 percent of adult children have not talked to their parents about issues related to aging. Some children avoid this most intimate of conversations because they believe their parents don't want to talk. Others think they know what their parents want.
WUSTL psychology professor Brian Carpenter is one of the experts offering advice.
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