The concept of ‘Successful Aging’ has long intrigued the scientific community. Despite this long-standing interest, a consensus definition has proven to be a difficult task, due to the inherent challenge involved in defining such a complex, multi-dimensional phenomenon. The lack of a clear set of defining characteristics for the construct of successful aging has made comparison of findings across studies difficult and has limited advances in aging research. The domain in which consensus on markers of successful aging is furthest developed is the domain of physical functioning. For example, walking speed appears to be an excellent surrogate marker of overall health and predicts the maintenance of physical independence, a cornerstone of successful aging. The purpose of the present article is to provide an overview and discussion of specific health conditions, behavioral factors, and biological mechanisms that mark declining mobility and physical function and promising interventions to counter these effects. With life expectancy continuing to increase in the United States and developed countries throughout the world, there is an increasing public health focus on the maintenance of physical independence among all older adults.

Objectives Delirium’s adverse effect on long-term mortality in older hospitalized patients is well documented, while its effect in older emergency department (ED) patients remains unclear. Similarly, the consequences of delirium on nursing home patients seen in the ED are also unknown. As a result, we sought to determine if delirium in the ED was independently associated with 6-month mortality in older patients and if this relationship was modified by nursing home status. Methods Our prospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary care, academic ED using convenience sampling, and included English speaking patients who were 65 years and older and were in the ED for less than 12 hours at the time of enrollment. Patients were excluded if they refused consent, were previously enrolled, were unable to follow simple commands at baseline, were comatose, or had incomplete data. The Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) was used to determine delirium and was administered by trained research assistants. Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to determine if delirium in the ED was independently associated with 6-month mortality after adjusting for age, comorbidity burden, severity of illness, dementia, functional dependence, and nursing home residence. To test whether the effect of delirium in the ED on 6-month mortality was modified by nursing home residence, an interaction term (delirium*nursing home) was incorporated into the multivariable model. Hazard ratios (HR) with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were reported. Results Of the 628 patients enrolled, 108 (17.2%) were delirious in the ED and 58 (9.2%) were from the nursing home. For the entire cohort, the 6-month mortality rate was higher in the delirious group compared to the non-delirious group (37.0% versus 14.3%). Delirium was an independent predictor of increased 6-month mortality (HR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.04 – 2.86) after adjusting for age, comorbidity burden, severity of illness, dementia, functional dependence, and nursing home residence. The “delirium*nursing home” interaction was non-significant (p=0.86), indicating that place of residence had no effect on the relationship between delirium in the ED and 6-month mortality. Conclusion Delirium in older ED patients is an independent predictor of increased 6-month mortality and this relationship appears to be present regardless of nursing home status.

Background Elderly patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) are at risk of receiving potentially (PIMs) and actually inappropriate medications (AIMs). Objectives To determine types of PIMs and AIMs, which PIMs are most likely to be considered AIMs, and risk factors for PIMs and AIMs at hospital discharge in elderly ICU survivors. Design Prospective cohort study Setting Tertiary care, academic medical center Participants 120 patients ≥ 60 years old who survived an ICU hospitalization Measurements PIMs were defined according to published criteria; AIMs were adjudicated by a multidisciplinary panel. Medication lists were abstracted at the time of pre-admission, ward admission, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, ICU discharge, and hospital discharge. Poisson regression was used to examine independent risk factors for hospital discharge PIMs and AIMs. Results Of 250 PIMs prescribed at discharge, the most common were opioids (28%), anticholinergics (24%), antidepressants (12%), and drugs causing orthostasis (8%). The three most common AIMs were anticholinergics (37%), non-benzodiazepine hypnotics (14%), and opioids (12%). Overall, 36% of discharge PIMs were classified as AIMs, but the percentage varied by drug type. Whereas only 16% of opioids, 23% of antidepressants, and 10% of drugs causing orthostasis were classified as AIMs; 55% of anticholinergics, 71% of atypical antipyschotics, 67% of non-benzodiazepine hypnotics and benzodiazepines, and 100% of muscle relaxants were deemed AIMs. The majority of PIMs and AIMs were first prescribed in the ICU. Pre-admission PIMs, discharge to somewhere other than home, and discharge from a surgical service predicted number of discharge PIMs, but none of the factors predicted AIMs at discharge. Conclusions Certain types of PIMs, which are commonly initiated in the ICU, are more frequently considered inappropriate upon clinical review. Efforts to reduce AIMs in elderly ICU survivors should target these specific classes of medications.