Sharon K. Inouye, MD, MPH, is among the medical leaders featured in the new book, “The Aging Revolution: The History of Geriatric Health Care and What Really Matters to Older Adults.” She is featured for bringing international attention to the toll of delirium among hospitalized older adults and for creating a system for early identification and prevention.

Coauthored by Northwell Health’s President and CEO Michael Dowling, author Charles Kenney, and Maria Torroella Carney, MD, Northwell’s chief of geriatrics and palliative medicine, the book describes the remarkable advocacy efforts of Dr. Robert Butler and other geriatricians and clinicians in recent decades “in overcoming longstanding, systemic discriminatory practices against older people that were pervasive within the medical community.”

The book, published by Skyhorse Publishing, analyzes the social action movements that have dramatically improved the quality of life and life expectancy of adults since the 1970s. 

About Dr. Inouye

Dr. Inouye is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, the Milton and Shirley F. Levy Family chair, and the director of the Aging Brain Center at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife. She is also the editor-in-chief of JAMA Internal Medicine.

Dr. Inouye has made a significant impact on health and medicine through her seminal research in cognitive disorders of aging, including delirium and dementia, and through her leadership in health innovation. She has combined her clinical acumen with expertise in epidemiology, public health, and public policy to revolutionize the way we provide clinical care for older adults. She created the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), which has been translated into over 20 languages and is the most widely used delirium tool worldwide.

She developed an innovative approach to prevent delirium and functional decline in hospitalized older persons, the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP), which has influenced how hospital care is provided worldwide.  

About Hebrew SeniorLife

Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 4,500 seniors a day across seven campuses throughout Greater Boston. Locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; Jack Satter House, Revere, and Leyland Community, Boston.  Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $98 million, making it one of the largest gerontological research facilities in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 500 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit our website or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

About the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research

Scientists at the Marcus Institute seek to transform the human experience of aging by conducting research that will ensure a life of health, dignity, and productivity into advanced age. The Marcus Institute carries out rigorous studies that discover the mechanisms of age-related disease and disability; lead to the prevention, treatment, and cure of disease; advance the standard of care for older people; and inform public decision-making.

PHILADELPHIA — Sharon K. Inouye, MD, MPH, MACP, has been awarded the John Phillips Memorial Award for Outstanding Work in Clinical Medicine by the American College of Physicians (ACP), a national organization of internal medicine physicians. Award recipients will be recognized at ACP’s annual convocation ceremony on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at the San Diego Convention Center, where ACP is hosting its annual scientific conference, Internal Medicine Meeting 2023, through April 29.

Established by ACP's Board of Regents in 1929, the John Phillips Memorial Award for Outstanding Work in Clinical Medicine is given to internal medicine physicians in recognition of their innovative, impactful, and sustained contributions to the field. Clinical medicine includes all aspects of clinical research or the practice of medicine. 

Dr. Inouye is a noted leader in internal medicine, geriatrics, and clinical research known for her transformative contributions to the clinical care of older adults and the medical breakthroughs that followed. She is currently a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, where she also serves as Milton and Shirley F. Levy Family chair. Aside from Dr. Inouye’s work with Harvard Medical School, she is also the director of the Aging Brain Center at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, and the incoming editor in chief of JAMA Internal Medicine. 

For the past 30 years, she has been the pre-eminent investigator in the prevention of delirium and functional decline among elderly hospitalized patients. One of Dr. Inouye’s career accomplishments includes creating the Confusion Assessment Method, the most widely used instrument for identifying delirium in elderly hospitalized patients. She also developed the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP), a multicomponent strategy shown to reduce delirium by 40%. Dr. Inouye’s innovative work has led to over 400 publications and over 70,000 citations, changing the lives of millions of older adults worldwide. 

About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $63 million, making it the largest gerontological research facility in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 1,000 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit our website or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research
Scientists at the Marcus Institute seek to transform the human experience of aging by conducting research that will ensure a life of health, dignity, and productivity into advanced age. The Marcus Institute carries out rigorous studies that discover the mechanisms of age-related disease and disability; lead to the prevention, treatment, and cure of disease; advance the standard of care for older people; and inform public decision-making.

About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 160,000 internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

BOSTON - Harvard Medical School affiliate Hebrew SeniorLife, New England’s largest nonprofit provider of senior health care and living communities, is accepting applications for 45 new affordable senior housing apartments at the Simon C. Fireman Community in Randolph, MA. The units are in addition to the current 160 senior apartments with supportive services already located in the Fireman Community.

Residents will be selected through a lottery system. Selection will follow the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity guidelines to ensure access for those who may traditionally have difficulty accessing affordable housing. Prospective residents, their co-head of household, or spouse must be age 62 or older to apply.

Hebrew SeniorLife has partnered with Maloney Properties, Inc. to manage the application process.   Virtual information sessions about the application process and the new units will take place January 11, 2023 at 12 p.m. and on January 25, 2023 at 5 p.m. To join, visit www.FiremanExpansion.com for Zoom links. The application deadline is February 16, 2023, at 5 p.m.

To request an application, email FiremanExpansion@MaloneyProperties.com; visit www.FiremanExpansion.com; or call (617) 209-5450; relay 711. Applications can also be picked up at Randolph Public Library,  Randolph Town Hall, or the Randolph Senior Center. 

Completed applications should be submitted via email at FiremanExpansion@MaloneyProperties.com;  fax at (781) 237-5078; or mail or in-person dropbox at Fireman Expansion, c/o Maloney Properties, Inc., 27 Mica Lane, 3rd Floor, Wellesley, MA 02481.

Mobile voucher holders are encouraged to apply. Several units have project-based subsidy. Applicants for these units must also meet the requirements of the applicable subsidy programs.

The lottery drawing to secure housing will be held virtually on March 2, 2023 at 1 p.m.  

About The Simon C. Fireman Community Expansion
The Simon C. Fireman Community expansion is supported with a low-income housing tax credit investment from the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC) and support from several other funders.  The resulting apartments will be 100 percent affordable, with 27 units for households earning up to 60 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), four for households earning up to 50 percent AMI, and 11 for households at or below 30 percent AMI. 

The new three-story wing will be fully integrated with the Fireman Community’s existing residences, sharing the same lobby, and creating two courtyards with walking paths, exercise stations, and benches. Other amenities include a multi-purpose room, a fitness center, office space, an art/game room, a deck overlooking the courtyard, a library, and a lounge. The expansion will be built to high sustainability and energy efficient Passive House standards. Residents will have access to a full range of support including cultural, educational, recreational, and fitness programs; nutritional assistance; and wellness services.

Hebrew SeniorLife would like to express appreciation to its partners and funders of this project:

• The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development
• The Town of Randolph
• Massachusetts Housing Partnership
• Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation
• Boston Private Bank & Trust/Silicon Valley Bank
• Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation
• MassHousing

Hebrew SeniorLife would also like to recognize Affirmative Investments, ICON Architecture, Bald Hill Builders, Nixon Peabody LLP, Tierney Development Services, and Linnean Solutions.

About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $63 million, making it the largest gerontological research facility in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 1,000 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit our website or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
 

Boston — Older adults who entered skilled nursing facilities (SNF) for care after hospitalizations after the pandemic received rehabilitation care comparable to the levels of care that were provided pre-pandemic, according to research published in the JAMA Health Forum.

Despite exceptional challenges during the pandemic, SNFs provided post-acute rehabilitation with only a modest decline in intensity, said the researchers. This suggests that SNFs were largely able to adapt and provide post-acute care rehabilitation to older adults. 

“During the pandemic we knew that fewer people went to skilled nursing facilities after hospitalizations, and it seemed like the ones that went were overall sicker, with more cognitive impairment and higher risk overall,” said Sandra M. Shi, M.D., M.P.H.  “This study helps to demonstrate that despite caring for a sicker population with scarce resources, SNFs were still largely able to provide post-acute rehabilitation for patients.”

“Our goal was to characterize changes in rehabilitation services provided by SNFs during COVID-19”, said Sarah Berry, M.D., M.P.H.  “Rehabilitation services overall decreased, but only by about a half day on average.”

The article, Post-Acute Care Rehabilitation Services and Outcomes in Skilled Nursing Facilities Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, was published in the JAMA Health Forum and was authored by Sandra M. Shi, M.D., M.P.H., Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife; Cyrus M. Kosar, Ph.D., Brown School of Public Health; Natalia Gouskovia, Ph.D., Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife; and Sarah Berry, M.D., M.P.H., Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife.

About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, was founded in 1903 and today is a national leader dedicated to empowering seniors to live their best lives. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Hebrew SeniorLife also trains more than 1,000 future health care professionals each year, and conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a robust research portfolio whose NIH funding in 2021 places it in the top 10% of NIH-funded institutions. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit our website or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research
Scientists at the Marcus Institute seek to transform the human experience of aging by conducting research that will ensure a life of health, dignity, and productivity into advanced age. The Marcus Institute carries out rigorous studies that discover the mechanisms of age-related disease and disability; lead to the prevention, treatment, and cure of disease; advance the standard of care for older people; and inform public decision-making.

BOSTON – A Hebrew SeniorLife study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society provides a framework to better understand risk factors for developing delirium, a common psychiatric syndrome that is costly and potentially life-threatening when present in older adults. Attributable health care costs of delirium exceed $164 billion per year across all older adults, and represent a significant public health priority.

The study proposed a novel social determinants of health (SDOH) framework for delirium because the economic, psychosocial, and environmental factors that influence the development of delirium are important and poorly understood. The researchers completed a careful review of existing literature, identifying environmental, historical, and social variables that influence cognitive trajectories, tailored to the needs of older adults. The framework expanded upon existing literature to comprehensively capture the social circumstances, environmental characteristics, and life course factors that may protect against or precipitate delirium in older adults. Ultimately, the authors hope that the model stimulates future research seeking to characterize the influence of SDOH on acute cognitive changes.

Franchesca Arias, Ph.D., Assistant Scientist, Aging Brain Center, Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, is the lead author of the study, “A Framework of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) for Delirium Tailored to Older Adults.” Sharon K. Inouye, M.D., M.P.H., Director, the Aging Brain Center, Marcus Institute, is senior author.  

By 2060, it is expected that 23 percent of the U.S. population will be 65 years old or older, a demographic shift with largescale social and economic implications. Late adulthood is associated with increased cognitive vulnerabilities and medical needs. Older persons who reside in economically disadvantaged areas exhibit worse medical outcomes and earlier functional decline relative to those in more affluent areas. Ethno-racially diverse older adults are disproportionately affected by dementia relative to their non-Hispanic White peers, controlling for age and comorbidity. 

“Advancing our understanding of the factors that improve health outcomes in older adults is a public health priority,” Dr. Arias said.

“To lay the work in context, SDOH have been well-examined in their contributions to chronic conditions, such as dementia; however, their contribution to delirium has not been previously well-examined,” said Dr. Inouye.

Other authors included Margarita Alegria, Ph.D., Chief of the Disparities Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital;  Amy J. Kind, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center for Health Disparities Research, Wisconsin School of Medicine; Richard N. Jones, Sc.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University; Thomas G. Travison, Ph.D., Director of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Marcus Institute; Edward R. Marcantonio, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Eva M. Schmitt, Ph.D., Associate Director, Aging Brain Center and Assistant Scientist, Marcus Institute; and Tamara G. Fong, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Scientist, Aging Brain Center, Marcus Institute. 

This work was funded in part by grants no. P01AG031720 (SKI) and R24AG054259 (SKI) from the National Institute on Aging and NIA Diversity Supplement to grant P01AG031720 (SKI) and by grant no.2019-AARFD-644816 from the Alzheimer’s Association. 

About the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research
Scientists at the Marcus Institute seek to transform the human experience of aging by conducting research that will ensure a life of health, dignity, and productivity into advanced age. The Marcus Institute carries out rigorous studies that discover the mechanisms of age-related disease and disability; lead to the prevention, treatment, and cure of disease; advance the standard of care for older people; and inform public decision-making.

About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Our locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $63 million, making it the largest gerontological research facility in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 1,000 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.