Aging and dementia: what physicians say, in their own words

Last updated September 20, 2026.

Read together, the 544 KevinMD posts on aging and dementia say one thing consistently: the system that cares for older people was built for something else. Hospitals discharge them into a first week of chaos, nursing homes are where physicians say they would not send their own parents, Medicare was never meant to pay for long-term care, and the physicians who trained to treat old age number about 7,000 for a country of 55 million people over 65. Posts mentioning caregivers rose from 16 percent before 2013 to 36 percent in 2025 and 2026, and the physicians writing are increasingly the adult children of the patients. Where they disagree, on Alzheimer’s drugs and biomarkers, on when to stop screening, on nursing homes, and on longevity medicine, both sides are on this page under their own names.

This page is a maintained record of what physicians, geriatricians, nurses, and family caregivers have written about growing old on KevinMD.com, a physician-authored publication founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, a board-certified internal medicine physician in Nashua, New Hampshire. It draws on 544 essays and podcast transcripts with an aging, dementia, caregiving, nursing home, or geriatrics term in the title, published between September 2004 and September 2026 by 281 named contributors, 261 of the posts bylined by physicians and 46 of them podcast episodes with transcripts. Of the 544, 192 were published from 2023 onward and 59 in 2026 alone, the most of any year. Every claim is attributed to a named author with the month it was published, quoted in the author’s own words, and linked to the original.

This record is about growing old and the care it takes. Dying, hospice, and the decisions at the end of life are on the End of life: what physicians say, in their own words record, and posts about them were routed there. Psychiatric illness in older adults is on the Mental health: what psychiatrists and physicians say, in their own words record. Each section opens with a direct answer, then what named authors have said, in the order they said it. Where authors cite studies or figures, the source is named alongside the author and the figures are theirs as of the date they wrote. Family caregivers, including physicians writing as the children of aging parents, are cited at the same weight as clinicians and identified as such. Contributors who sell services into this subject are identified where they are cited. This is physician opinion and experience, not clinical guidance.

What do physicians say about diagnosing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?

Physicians on KevinMD have written since 2010 that Alzheimer’s disease can be found years before symptoms and have asked, in the same posts, what a patient gains from knowing. The argument moved from PET scans in 2013 to Aduhelm in 2021 to blood biomarkers and the insulin hypothesis in 2025. Posts mentioning amyloid or the new drugs peaked at 9 percent in 2020 to 2022; dementia or Alzheimer’s appears in 46 percent of the 2025 and 2026 posts.

Naomi Freundlich, a health writer, wrote in September 2010 of biomarker tests that “it could double or triple the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s,” in “Are Alzheimer’s disease screening tests ready for the public?” Ken Covinsky, MD, a geriatrician, wrote in January 2011 that “the brain changes that result in cognitive impairment start years, if not decades, before patients become symptomatic,” in “Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis criteria: A critical review.” James P. Richardson, MD, MPH, a geriatrician, wrote in January 2012 citing the Alzheimer’s Association that “only about half of all individuals with Alzheimer’s disease have been diagnosed,” in “Myths and misses about Alzheimer’s Disease.” Leslie Kernisan, MD, MPH, a geriatrician, wrote in March 2013 asking of patients with cognitive complaints “Do they need a PET scan to confirm the presence or absence of amyloid plaque,” in “Should Medicare cover PET scans for the diagnosis of dementia?” Rod Tanchanco, MD, wrote in July 2016 that a 2011 Alzheimer’s Disease International report “estimated over 70 percent of people with dementia remained undiagnosed,” in “Alzheimer’s dementia and a world in denial.” Janice Boughton, MD, an internist, wrote in November 2018 of her training and of her father’s illness that “We still had no useful tools to change the course of dementia,” in “Lewy body dementia and a farewell to a physician’s father.” Ron Louie, MD, wrote in April 2019 that an amyloid-targeting drug “seemed to make subjects worse, had side effects, and essentially failed to improve endpoints,” in “Interpreting 2 recent studies involving Alzheimer disease.” Edward Hoffer, MD, an internist, wrote in May 2019 that “normal aging is often accompanied by some mild memory loss,” in “Mild memory loss: Is it Alzheimer’s disease?” M. Bennet Broner, PhD, wrote in July 2021 of the 2021 approval that “The FDA was inexcusably in error in making this decision,” in “The FDA was wrong about Aduhelm.” Laura García-Pupo, PhD, a neuroscientist, wrote in December 2024 that “The field of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is seeing a heated debate about the best way to diagnose this devastating condition,” in “The debate over Alzheimer’s diagnosis: biological markers vs. symptoms.” Adrian Owen, a neuroscientist who builds cognitive tests, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in February 2025 that earlier detection matters because that “we don’t want to give drugs to the wrong people,” in “Transforming dementia care with better detection tools [PODCAST].” Marc Arginteanu, MD, a neurosurgeon, wrote in May 2025 that “There’s an ever-growing body of evidence to suggest that diabetes contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease,” in “Diabetes and Alzheimer’s: What your blood sugar might be doing to your brain.” Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in August 2025 that “Alzheimer’s appears to result from insulin resistance within the brain,” in “How insulin resistance may cause Alzheimer’s disease.”

What do physicians say about caring for aging parents?

The most distinctive voice in this record is the physician writing as a son or daughter: they describe learning that a medical degree does not help at a parent’s bedside. Posts mentioning caregivers rose from 16 percent before 2013 to 36 percent in 2025 and 2026, and the authors say, in nearly the same words a decade apart, that unpaid family care is the system.

Madge Kaplan, a health journalist, wrote in March 2014 that “I was a long-distance caregiver for twelve years,” in “Family caregiving is hard and imperfect.” Toni Bernhard, JD, a patient, wrote in November 2014 that “My illness has been as hard on my caregiver-husband as it’s been on me,” in “7 ways to help your caregiver.” Marion Mass, MD, a pediatrician, wrote in April 2016 of her mother with dementia that “going to a new place would be a mini-horror for her,” in “6 medical breakdowns in my mother’s care. And 1 close call.” Christine King, CRNA, a nurse anesthetist, wrote in December 2020 of the March 2020 lockdown that “that was the last time any of my mom’s six children were permitted in the facility,” in “COVID-19 and the cruel death of my mother.” Sandra Vamos, EdD and Deanna Lernihan, MPH, wrote in July 2021 that “Informal, unpaid caregiving is the backbone of long-term health care in the United States,” in “Health literacy: the missing piece to caregiver support and empowerment.” Miles J. Varn, MD, wrote in April 2022 that “At some point, most of us will take on the role of caregiver,” in “How to prepare to be an effective caregiver.” Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA, a psychiatrist, wrote in October 2023 that “Today, more than one in five Americans are caregivers,” in “Expressive writing reduces caregiver stress.” Robin Downing, DVM, a veterinarian and bioethicist, wrote in December 2023 that “I came to my father’s final illness as his daughter, a doctor, and a clinical bioethicist,” in “Uncovering the truth behind my father’s tragic end.” R. Lynn Barnett wrote in December 2023 recalling Rosalynn Carter’s observation that “we’re either going to be caregivers or in need of one at some point in our lives,” in “Rosalynn Carter’s impact on caregivers.” Therese Zink, MD, MPH, a family physician, wrote in January 2025 that “Two years after Dad’s death, my mom fell and broke her shoulder,” in “The heartbreaking truth about advocating for aging parents in today’s health care system.” Jessie Mahoney, a pediatrician caring for her own parents, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in September 2025 that “a lot of my physician tendencies make it harder,” in “Why doctors struggle with family caregiving and how to find grace [PODCAST].” Barbara Sparacino, a geriatric psychiatrist who coaches families, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in February 2026 that “Twenty-nine percent of the population of caregivers is just like me, the sandwich generation,” in “Medical expertise does not prevent caregiving grief [PODCAST].” Ranjita Suresh wrote in February 2026 of the five-year Medicaid wait for immigrants that “My father’s choice to care for his 95-year-old mother has undoubtedly taken a toll on him,” in “Immigrant caregiver burden: the hidden cost of the five-year Medicaid wait.”

What do physicians say about nursing homes and long-term care?

Physicians who round in nursing homes describe them on KevinMD with unusual bluntness: a conveyor belt from the hospital, a protocol of call 911 and copy the chart, and no library or garden in thirty years of visits. Posts mentioning nursing homes or long-term care appear in 28 percent of the pandemic-era posts and 35 percent since 2025. The pandemic deaths inside them are on the record here and on the COVID-19 record.

Marilyn Gugliucci, PhD, a gerontologist, wrote in August 2011 that “Every summer, a handful of medical students spends two weeks in a nursing home as a patient,” in “Medical students spending time in a nursing home as a patient.” Ken Covinsky, MD, a geriatrician, wrote in September 2013 that “Huge numbers of older persons transition from hospitals to the nursing home,” in “The difficult transition between the hospital and nursing home.” Trudy Lieberman, a health journalist, wrote in September 2014 of the Medicare ratings that “five-star nursing homes may not be delivering five-star quality,” in “How to choose a nursing home: Why 5-star ratings may be wrong.” Kevin Tolliver, MD, MBA, wrote in October 2018 that Medicaid pays for a nursing home while that “Medicare only pays for a maximum of 100 days of post-hospital recovery care,” in “How to pay for long-term care.” Steven Reznick, MD, an internist, wrote in July 2019 that physicians at the facilities joked that “the protocol for caring for a problem was to call 911 and copy the chart for transfer,” in “The truth behind the care at a skilled nursing facility.” Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD, a geriatric physician, wrote in July 2021 that “a nursing home is a nursing home, and the walls, beds, curtains, and smells don’t change with the name,” in “The nursing home crucible.” Carole A. Estabrooks, PhD, RN, a nursing researcher, wrote in January 2023 that in the first two waves that “over 80 percent of all Canadian COVID-19 deaths happened in long-term care homes,” in “Care aides in long-term care were traumatized during COVID-19.” Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD, a geriatric physician, wrote in January 2024 that “I have never seen a library, community garden, kitchen for personal use, or a worthy outdoor space,” in “Nursing homes: How they impact the dignity of older adults.” Alex Schloe, MD, who promotes such investments, wrote in July 2024 that “Investing in residential assisted living (RAL) homes is an opportunity that offers both financial security,” in “Why physicians should consider investing in residential assisted living homes.” Sid Feldman, a long-term care physician in Canada, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in February 2025 of antipsychotic use before the pandemic that “We were down to about 20 percent or so,” and that it rose again during it, in “Reversing the rise in antipsychotic prescriptions in long-term care [PODCAST].” Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD, a geriatric physician, wrote in August 2025 that “many will likely end up in nursing homes because in-home caregiving remains expensive,” in “Aging in place: Why home care must replace nursing homes.” Amanda M. Buster and J. Wesley Boyd, MD, PhD, wrote in May 2026 that “One study projects that the number of nursing home residents will triple by 2050,” in “Why nursing home regulations must address mental illness.”

When is medicine too much for an older patient? What physicians say about screening and pills.

Physicians on KevinMD have argued since 2014 that older patients get tests and drugs that cannot help them: screening colonoscopies at 85, five specialists each adding two pills, an A1c target set for a forty-year-old. Posts mentioning polypharmacy, deprescribing, or too many medications rose from 0 percent before 2013 to 6 percent in 2025 and 2026.

Kenneth Lin, MD, a family physician, wrote in September 2014 of an electronic record prompt for a patient with advanced dementia that “The computer suggested breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and cervical cancer screenings: three totally inappropriate tests for the patient,” in “Cancer screening in the elderly: Don’t be stupid.” Robert S. Sandler, MD, MPH, a gastroenterologist, wrote in March 2015 that “We have created such momentum for screening that recommendations to stop screening may threaten trust,” in “Colorectal cancer screening in the elderly: Can we stop the train?” Kenneth Lin, MD, a family physician, wrote in May 2016 citing surveys that “41 percent of adults with a life expectancy of fewer than 10 years, received screening colonoscopies,” in “How to discourage overuse of cancer screening in older adults.” Allen Frances, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in July 2016 that “Polypharmacy was once the exception in psychiatry; now it seems to have become the rule,” in “The problem of polypharmacy in psychiatry.” Michael Kirsch, MD, a gastroenterologist, wrote in November 2017 that “the biggest risk factor for polypharmacy is polydoctor,” in “Who’s responsible for polypharmacy in the elderly?” Peter Ubel, MD, wrote in January 2018 asking “But should my 93-year-old father receive a screening colonoscopy,” in “How to tell seniors they’re too old for cancer screening.” Philip A. Masters, MD, an internist, wrote in May 2018 that “attempting to treat patients according to single-disease-specific guidelines can be a significant driver of polypharmacy,” in “Undoing what we’ve done: Why deprescribing is so difficult.” Kenneth Lin, MD, a family physician, wrote in January 2020 that “Side effects of statins are more common in older persons,” in “When should you prescribe statins for older adults?” Paula Rochon, a geriatrician, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in April 2024 that “I see that people often use a lot of medications,” in “Polypharmacy and prescribing cascades [PODCAST].” George James, a medical student who worked in a geriatric clinic, wrote in February 2026 that “Managing diabetes in geriatric patients should prioritize function, comfort, and independence instead of trying to hit some lab number,” in “Geriatric diabetes management: Why strict A1c targets can harm seniors.” American Medical Association and John Whyte, MD, MPH, wrote in February 2026 that “Deprescribing is not about denying care or cutting costs at the expense of patient health,” in “Deprescribing in health care: Why less medication can be more.”

What do physicians say about hospitals, falls, and delirium?

For an older patient, physicians on KevinMD say, the hospital is where the damage is done: delirium in up to half of admissions, a fall every fifteen seconds in the nation’s emergency rooms, and a discharge that hands a fracture and a new medication list to an exhausted relative. Posts mentioning falls or frailty appear in 30 to 29 percent of posts in every period since 2013; delirium in 5 percent since 2025.

Louise Aronson, MD, a geriatrician, wrote in February 2013 that “an older American is treated in an emergency room for a fall every fifteen seconds,” in “2 missed opportunities to teach fall prevention.” Leslie Kernisan, MD, MPH, a geriatrician, wrote in March 2014 citing a JAMA Internal Medicine cohort of Medicare patients over 70 in which “those on blood pressure medication had more serious falls,” in “The risks of treating high blood pressure in the elderly.” J. Gordon Boyd, MD, PhD, a neurologist, wrote in September 2018 that “the rate of acquiring delirium as a result of treatment in ICU ranges from 30 to 80 percent,” in “Delirium is a serious and common outcome of treatment in hospital intensive care.” Steven Reznick, MD, an internist, wrote in July 2019 of patients discharged to skilled nursing that “The later you are seen, the more likely it is that you will be sent back,” in “The truth behind the care at a skilled nursing facility.” Mary Braun, MD, a physician, wrote in April 2021 of her own broken arm that “My life would contract and contract, and soon enough, I would be frail,” in “Thinking about frailty like slow-moving PTSD.” Sheetal Gambhir, MD, a geriatrician, wrote in February 2023 that “if one is fortunate enough to survive a fall, they can still leave a patient disabled for life,” in “Geriatric foot care 101: How shoes can help reduce the risk of falls.” American Society of Anesthesiologists and Elizabeth Mahanna-Gabrielli, MD, wrote in June 2023 of delirium in the recovery room that “it can be unnerving to patients and their families,” and that families will have questions, in “Advice for the hospitalist caring for a patient after delirium in the post-anesthesia care unit.” Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD, geriatricians, wrote in September 2023 that “Delirium is a sudden and distressing state of confusion that occurs in up to half of hospitalized older people,” in “COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals.” Rafiat Banwo, OTD, an occupational therapist, wrote in January 2026 that in post-acute care that “readmissions are frequently an operational failure,” in “SNF discharge planning: Why documentation is no longer enough.” Gerald Kuo, a caregiver and the most frequent contributor on the subject, wrote in March 2026 that “The first week after discharge often becomes chaos,” in “How a broken hospital-to-home transition harms older adults.” Carrie Friedman, NP, who runs a psychiatry practice, wrote in March 2026 that “it is frequently treated as an expected complication rather than a reversible condition,” in “Why thiamine deficiency is a hidden driver of delirium.”

What do physicians say about geriatrics as a specialty?

Geriatricians on KevinMD write about a specialty that is loved by the people in it and chosen by almost no one: about 7,000 in the United States, half of them part time, for the fastest-growing age group in the country. They describe why they chose it, why students do not, and what the specialty is actually for.

Eric Widera, MD, a geriatrician, wrote in November 2010 of a Canadian trial of a required two-week rotation, asking “Will there be any difference in the knowledge of geriatric conditions, the attitudes toward older adults, or geriatric clinical skills,” in “Medical students taking a mandatory rotation in geriatrics.” Leslie Kernisan, MD, MPH, a geriatrician, wrote in April 2013 that she opted out of Medicare and built a new practice that “To keep practicing the part of my work that I loved the most,” in “How my geriatric practice works.” Nicole Clark, MD, a geriatrician, wrote in January 2019 that “it was the lifetime doctor-patient relationship that drew me to primary care and geriatrics,” in “Geriatric medicine is a calling.” Marc Rothman, MD, a geriatrician, wrote in September 2019 that “Innovation is the cornerstone of what I call entrepreneurial geriatrics,” in “Can entrepreneurial geriatrics fight ageism in health care?” Michael Pessman wrote in July 2022 that “Approximately 7,000 geriatricians are practicing in the United States, and around half of them are full-time,” in “The forgotten crisis: a shortage of geriatric doctors in the U.S.” Sheetal Gambhir, MD, a geriatrician, wrote in February 2023 that “geriatricians have great academic knowledge but translating that into practical advice is ridiculously hard,” in “Geriatric foot care 101: How shoes can help reduce the risk of falls.” Adam Burrows, MD, a geriatrician, wrote in November 2023 that “There is often a misconception that geriatric medicine should care for all older adults,” in “Let the secret out by expanding older adults’ access to PACE.” Barbara Sparacino, a geriatric psychiatrist, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in February 2026 that “there is a dearth, unfortunately, of geriatric psychiatrists,” in “Medical expertise does not prevent caregiving grief [PODCAST].”

What do physicians say about longevity and anti-aging medicine?

Physicians on KevinMD have written about longevity twice: in 2017 and 2018 as a question about metformin and rapamycin, and since 2024 as a field with clinics, biomarker panels, and bestselling books. The physicians who practice it say the goal is healthspan; the physicians who do not say a long life with dementia is not the prize. Posts mentioning longevity, lifespan, or healthspan reached 14 percent in 2025 and 2026.

Stephen C. Schimpff, MD, an internist, wrote in March 2017 that “Longevity varies by sex, race, location and many other factors,” in “Life expectancy has lengthened, but not equitably.” Stephen C. Schimpff, MD, an internist, wrote in January 2018 that some scientists suggest “anti-aging drugs might be able to extend life to about 120 years,” in “Take a pill and stop aging. Really?” Dr. John Thomson Smith, a physician executive, wrote in December 2024 that “longevity science is not only about extending lifespan but also healthspan,” in “Biomarkers: How to manage your body’s KPIs for longevity.” Francisco M. Torres, MD, a physiatrist, wrote in March 2025 citing research that “the more satisfied one is with biological age, the more one enjoys life,” in “The key to longevity: fitness, mindset, and nutrition.” Eric Topol, MD, a cardiologist, wrote in May 2025 that “living longer with chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s, a disabling stroke, or marked frailty doesn’t seem all that ideal,” in “What super agers can teach us about longevity and health span.” Tomi Mitchell, MD, a family physician, wrote in September 2025 that “Longevity without cognitive health is not much of a win,” in “Will longevity medicine put doctors out of work?”

What do physicians disagree about?

On Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Laura García-Pupo, PhD, describes a field split between biomarkers and symptoms, and Leslie Kernisan, MD, MPH, in 2013 asked whether knowing earlier helps when the system cannot help. On Aduhelm, M. Bennet Broner, PhD, called the approval inexcusable, and Michael K. Gusmano, PhD and Karen J. Maschke, PhD, bioethicists, wrote in July 2021 that “the Medicare program is not required to pay for all medical items and services approved by the FDA,” in “Should Medicare pay for Aduhelm?” On how long to live, Jim deMaine, MD, a pulmonologist, wrote in November 2014 answering Ezekiel Emanuel’s wish to die at 75 that “There’s nothing wrong with a cane, a walker, or a wheelchair,” in “Ezekiel Emanuel’s wrong ethical view of aging.” On nursing homes, Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD, says home care must replace them, and Alex Schloe, MD, recommends investing in them. On screening, Robert S. Sandler, MD, MPH, says stopping may threaten trust, and Kenneth Lin, MD, says the electronic record should stop suggesting it. On longevity, Eric Topol, MD, and Tomi Mitchell, MD, want healthspan, and Stephen C. Schimpff, MD, in 2018 asked whether a pill could deliver it. The record does not resolve these; it dates them.

What would fix it? What physicians propose.

Asked what would fix the care of older people, physicians on KevinMD propose paying for long-term care and home care, expanding PACE, putting geriatrics into training for everyone, and measuring quality by function rather than lab targets. Several say the fix is not medical at all.

Leslie Kernisan, MD, MPH, a geriatrician, wrote in March 2013 that instead of scans that “there is lots that can be done for people with possible Alzheimer’s,” in “Should Medicare cover PET scans for the diagnosis of dementia?” Janice Boughton, MD, an internist, wrote in October 2013 that “Medicare was never intended to pay for long term care,” in “What do we do with the extreme elderly?” Grace Cordovano, PhD, a patient advocate, wrote in July 2017 to medical schools that “You need to invite patients for regularly scheduled story sharing,” in “Every medical student needs to hear patient and caregiver stories.” Adam Burrows, MD, a geriatrician, wrote in November 2023 that “For a geriatrician, PACE is akin to nirvana,” in “Let the secret out by expanding older adults’ access to PACE.” Shawn Bloom, who leads the national PACE association, wrote in November 2024 that “Congress must end the PACE Part D penalty to expand PACE enrollment,” in “Congress must fix the Medicare penalty that’s keeping millions from aging at home.” Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD, a geriatric physician, wrote in August 2025 that “My house calls, though, have provided insights into potential solutions to help seniors in the future,” in “Aging in place: Why home care must replace nursing homes.” George James wrote in February 2026 that “Insurance policies must also do their part in optimizing geriatric diabetes management,” in “Geriatric diabetes management: Why strict A1c targets can harm seniors.” Gerald Kuo, a caregiver, wrote in May 2026 that “To accompany an older adult is not to fix every wrong note,” in “Aging care is not about fixing every wrong note.”

How has the aging conversation changed since 2004?

The record starts with Kevin Pho’s short commentaries on news and studies from 2006 to 2011, 78 of them, counted here but not cited. The 2010 to 2014 posts are geriatricians writing about their field and its evidence: Widera, Covinsky, Kernisan, and Aronson. The 2016 to 2019 posts add polypharmacy, screening limits, and the first physicians writing as caregivers of their parents. The pandemic years are about nursing homes and delirium. Since 2023 the record is caregiving, Alzheimer’s biomarkers and the insulin hypothesis, longevity medicine, and the hospital-to-home transition, and AI is mentioned in 28 percent of the 2025 and 2026 posts against 1 percent in 2017 to 2019.

Two things did not change. Medicare or Medicaid is named in 7 to 25 percent of posts in every period, because who pays decides where an older person lives. And the physicians most critical of how medicine treats the old are the ones who chose to treat them.

Term 2004 to 2012 (133 posts) 2013 to 2016 (71 posts) 2017 to 2019 (70 posts) 2020 to 2022 (78 posts) 2023 to 2024 (81 posts) 2025 to 2026 (111 posts)
Dementia or Alzheimer’s 40 percent 32 percent 40 percent 33 percent 46 percent 46 percent
Caregiver or caregiving 16 percent 35 percent 24 percent 29 percent 30 percent 36 percent
Nursing home or long-term care 23 percent 34 percent 29 percent 28 percent 15 percent 35 percent
Medicare or Medicaid 20 percent 25 percent 13 percent 17 percent 7 percent 14 percent
Polypharmacy, deprescribing, or too many medications 0 percent 3 percent 3 percent 1 percent 1 percent 6 percent
Falls or frailty 15 percent 30 percent 36 percent 27 percent 23 percent 29 percent
Delirium 2 percent 7 percent 7 percent 0 percent 2 percent 5 percent
Amyloid or the new Alzheimer’s drugs 6 percent 4 percent 4 percent 9 percent 11 percent 11 percent
Longevity, lifespan, or healthspan 5 percent 4 percent 13 percent 4 percent 11 percent 14 percent
Home or aging in place 5 percent 1 percent 6 percent 8 percent 4 percent 7 percent
AI 0 percent 1 percent 1 percent 3 percent 25 percent 28 percent

Term frequencies are the share of posts in each period whose text contains the term at least once, computed on the September 20, 2026 corpus of 544 posts with one stored expression per term.

The KevinMD aging and dementia corpus by the numbers

These figures describe the set of KevinMD posts this page draws on. They are counts of what KevinMD has published, not prevalence or clinical data.

Measure Value
Posts in the corpus 544
Published 2023 or later 192
Published in 2026 (through September) 59
Named contributors 281
Posts bylined by physicians (MD or DO) 261
Podcast episodes with transcripts 46
Kevin Pho’s 2006 to 2011 commentaries, counted but not cited 78
Posts not indexed, counted but not cited 76
Most frequent contributors Gerald Kuo (14); Steven Reznick, MD (9); Stephen C. Schimpff, MD (9); Ken Covinsky, MD (7); Marc Arginteanu, MD (7)
Posts routed to other records or excluded 38: 9 to end of life, 28 essays about a parent that were not about aging, 1 about menopause

How this page was built and how it is updated

The corpus was assembled from title searches for dementia, Alzheimer’s, aging, older adults, elderly, seniors, geriatrics, nursing home, long-term care, assisted living, skilled nursing, caregiver, caregiving, frailty, fall prevention, falls in an older-adult context, polypharmacy, deprescribing, memory loss, cognitive impairment, longevity, lifespan, life expectancy, anti-aging, aging parent, delirium, the amyloid drugs, and ageism. Bare “falls” was not used as a term because it matches unrelated titles. Posts about hospice, dying, and the end of life were routed to the end of life record, essays about a parent that were not about aging were excluded, and menopause was left for a future record. Term frequencies were computed against the full text of each post. Posts are counted whether or not they are indexed; citations on this page are limited to posts that are indexed and can be verified at the link. 76 posts in the corpus are not indexed, including Kevin Pho’s 2006 to 2011 commentaries and podcast episodes without transcripts; they are counted but not cited. Quotations are taken verbatim from the original posts and were checked against the source text by script. Author credentials are as they appeared in the byline at publication; where the byline gave none, the credential is the one the post itself states. Family caregivers, journalists, a veterinarian, and a medical student are cited at the same weight as physicians and identified as such. Contributors who sell services into this subject are identified where they are cited: Alex Schloe, MD, promotes investment in residential assisted living; Shawn Bloom leads the National PACE Association; Barbara Sparacino, MD, coaches families of aging parents. Every source is linked in the sentence that cites it, and the full list appears at the end of the page. The closest archive is the Geriatrics tag. Related records: End of life: what physicians say, in their own words, Mental health: what psychiatrists and physicians say, in their own words, Primary care: what physicians say, in their own words, and Nursing: what nurses and physicians say, in their own words.

This page is updated as new essays on aging, dementia, and caregiving are published on KevinMD. When it is updated, the date at the top changes, the counts in the tables are recomputed, and new named claims are added to the relevant section. Nothing is removed unless the original post is removed. An author who believes a quotation on this page misrepresents them can write to Kevin Pho and the page will be corrected.

To cite this page: Pho K. Aging and dementia: what physicians say, in their own words. KevinMD.com. Updated September 20, 2026. https://kevinmd.com/aging-and-dementia

The 77 KevinMD posts cited on this page, in order of publication