The lower prevalence of comorbidities in individuals who died as centenarians compared with those who died at a younger age reinforces the notion of centenarians as a selective group. Avoiding the confounding and potentially synergistic effects of having multiple chronic illnesses is likely vital to being able to survive to extreme ages.

Our study points to a significant deficit in pain treatment in German NHR, including NHR with or without cognitive impairment.

Purpose:To explore different institutional barriers to and facilitators of physical activity (PA) in nursing homes.Methods:Cross-sectional survey of 40 German nursing homes and 217 nursing-home residents (NHRs; M ± SD age 80 ± 10.2 yr, 55% women, MMSE ≥20). Quantitative data were collected on the structural characteristics of nursing homes and the PA services available.Results:Forms of exercise available were not adequately communicated to residents. Overall participation was below 50%. Awareness was significantly higher in residents with informed relatives (p = .003). A broad range of forms of exercise was generally available (M ± SD 5 ± 2.22, range 0–10), but they were rarely tailored to NHRs’ needs and their effectiveness remains questionable.Conclusion:Multidimensional opportunities to promote PA in NHRs are identified.

NHR exhibited a high prevalence of pain with overall low severity, while a high proportion of individuals received inappropriate pain medications. Both findings were not significantly improved by the intervention, although some aspects of drug treatment were meaningful improved.

The present analysis demonstrates that about one out of five elderly NHRs received at least one inappropriate drug prescription. Additional studies may aim to establish a list of frequently prescribed inappropriate drugs for Germany.