Prostate cancer is a common disease and is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men. However, many older men with prostate cancer will die from comorbid illness rather than cancer. Survival from prostate cancer with available treatment options, including surgery, radiation, androgen suppression, and watchful waiting, is mediated by age, tumor grade, and comorbid illness. Due to the long natural history of prostate cancer and the presence of competing comorbidities, the majority of elderly men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer will not benefit from curative therapy. Even mo

The evidence in support of medication reconciliation has increased rapidly in recent years, while the need for an improved medication-use system in the LTC setting remains. This article describes the essential elements of medication reconciliation and its application to the LTC setting. First, a case presentation depicts some of the typical clinical problems involving medications that face residents and clinicians in this setting and during transitions of care. Second, a brief literature review of medication reconciliation follows, with a special emphasis on the LTC setting. Third, a practi

These days, the biggest issue facing those of us who care for older adults is healthcare reform—and especially what’s in store for Medicare.

From a clinician’s point of view, it’s essential that reforms ensure that the growing number of older adults have access to high-quality, cost-effective care. To do so, reform provisions must do several things. They must address worsening nationwide shortages of geriatricians and other geriatrics healthcare providers. Given the growing numbers of older patients, reforms must expand training for geriatrics professionals and vigorously re

Brief Reports

Nursing Home Assessment of Cognitive Impairment: Development and Testing of a Brief Instrument of Mental Status

Joshua Chodosh, MD, MSHS, Maria Orlando Edelen, PhD, Joan L. Buchanan, PhD, Julia Ann Yosef, MS, Joseph G. Ouslander, MD, Dan R. Berlowitz, MD, MPH, Joel E. Streim, MD, and Debra Saliba, MD, MPH

OBJECTIVES: To test the accuracy of a brief cognitive assessment of nursing home (NH) residents and to determine whether facility nurses can reliably perform this assessment.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional, indep

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