Sharon K. Inouye, MD, MPH, Featured in New Book “The Aging Revolution”

Dr. Inouye created a system for the early identification and prevention of delirium in hospitalized older adults.

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.