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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 6.
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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@gwbmail.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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nancymh@gwbmail.wustl.edu
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Brian Carpenter
Assistant 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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Carolyn Baum
Professor in the Program of Occupational Therapy and Neurology and Elias Michael Director of the Program in Occupational Therapy
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| Baum |
Baum's research focuses on enabling older adults to live independently. Rather than focus on people's deficits, she seeks to understand what a person with chronic disease or disability can do. Her work has been recognized by funding from the National Institutes of Health, The James S. McDonnell Foundation, ...
Expertise: aging, enabling independent living, return of function following stroke
Media assistance: /
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Showing Caregiving for Older Americans Experts 1 through 5 of 6.
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| News Stories & Tip Sheets: |
Showing Caregiving for Older Americans Stories 1 through 3 of 17.
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Elderly driver safety
Experts discuss aging's impact on ability to drive, find other transportation
April 28,
2008 -- Ensuring that the elderly have access to transportation while preventing age-related driving impairments will be the focus of the eighth annual Friedman Conference on Aging, "Are We Licensed for Life? Transportation and Driving Issues in an Aging Society."
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Costly Care
Experts on aging to address long-term care Oct. 24 at WUSTL's School of Social Work
Oct. 10,
2006 -- University of Minnesota professors Robert L. and Rosalie A. Kane will present "Long-Term Care Shouldn't Be This Way: Two Perspectives" from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, in the 2nd-floor Lounge of Brown Hall at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work on WUSTL's campus.
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Social stresses overlooked
Quality of care varies for older adults with depression
Aug. 3,
2006 --
When thinking about the well-being of older adults, most people focus on medical care, but mental health care is a growing, pressing concern for older adults and their families. "At least one in five older adults suffer from a mental disorder and experts in geriatric mental health anticipate an 'unprecedented explosion' of older adults with disabling mental disorder," says Enola K. Proctor, Ph.D., mental health care expert and professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis. "While older adults may receive adequate medical and psychiatric care, they rarely receive the care necessary to deal with the general 'problems with living,' or social stresses. These psychosocial problems, such as isolation and family stress, may exacerbate psychiatric problems, depression in particular, and contribute to functional decline."
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Showing Caregiving for Older Americans Stories 1 through 3 of 17.
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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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Diabetes from Depression: Older adults face dual risk
Science News
May 15,
2007 -- Adults 65 and older who report depressive symptoms are 50 to 60 percent more likely to develop diabetes than are their peers, according to a new study at Northwestern University.
Treatment of depression is even helpful for adults who already have diabetes, according to a report in the April Diabetes Care by WUSTL psychiatry professor Patrick Lustman and his colleagues.
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Eldercare Choices Revive Sibling Fights
Associated Press Online
and 59 others
Jan. 17,
2007 -- With about 20 million Americans providing care for a parent or in-law, such family dramas often with financial questions lurking unsaid are playing out across the country. WUSTL psychology professor Brian Carpenter comments on old family dynamics.
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On the scales: Exercising helps dieters preserve bone strength
The New York Times
Jan. 2,
2007 -- When overweight people lose weight, they often lose bone mineral density as well, increasing their risk for osteoporosis. But new research led by medical professor and lead author Dennis Villareal suggests that losing weight with exercise rather than calorie restriction can preserve bone strength.
The results of the study appear in the Dec. 11 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Diabetes, obesity can increase your Alzheimer's risk
CNN.com
Nov. 7,
2006 -- November is National Alzheimer's Disease month. CNN medical correspondent Judy Fortin talked about the illness with John Morris, director of WUSTL's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. He said besides old age, diabetes and obesity are also risk factors for developing Alzheimer's.
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Diagnosis: Dementia May Follow Higher Weight Loss in Aging
The New York Times
Sept. 19,
2006 -- Weight loss in people over 65 can be the result of normal aging, but new research suggests that it may also be an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
WUSTL neurology professor and senior author John Morris comments on the study that appears in the September issue of Archives of Neurology.
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Funding for Alzheimer's research is key, scientists say
Kansas City Star
and 17 others
July 5,
2006 -- Scientists who study Alzheimer's disease say they are on the brink of finding treatments to slow or stop it.
A few weeks ago, Congress voted to reduce funding for research on Alzheimer's disease.
WUSTL scientists commenting are neurology professor Anne Fagan Niven, neurology professor and chair David Holtzman, and Tom Meuser, director of education and rural outreach at WUSTL's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
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The hidden dangers of belly fat
MSNBC.com
May 24,
2006 -- While we all know that excess pounds increase your risk of certain diseases, you may not realize that where you carry the weight makes a big difference. Researchers have found that abdominal fat could be even more hazardous to your health.
WUSTL nutrition expert Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition, explains why.
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