Making the best days of our lives last longer

How UF is enhancing physical and cognitive abilities that decline with age

By: James Hellegaard
Marco Pahor, MD, director, Institute on Aging Marco Pahor, MD, director, Institute on Aging Maria Belen Farias
Clinical and Translational Research Building Almost 40,000 square feet of the CTRB is dedicated to the Institute on Aging. Maria Belen Farias

Here is a sample of the projects that will lead to new discoveries:

LIFE Study

Close-up of sneaker as someone walks on indoor track Researchers from the Institute on Aging utilize the Health Promotion Center’s 200-foot indoor walking track for the LIFE Study to examine the effects of physical activity as they relate to aging. The HPC also features ballet-style bars for balance exercises, resistance training equipment and classroom space for health education group meetings. Maria Belen Farias

Learn more about the LIFE Study

Living with pain

Healthy weight management

Pepper Center

Expanding its reach

Five tips for doctors when caring for older patients

Provided by Donnie Batie, MD ’79, a geriatric specialist in Baton Rouge, La.

  • When caring for geriatric patients, remember they move much more slowly than young people, and mobility is important as they age.

  • It’s important to help them embrace having a caregiver — ideally someone who comes with them to their visits and oversees their care.

  • Encourage them to bring their medication everywhere they go.

  • Be sure to address cognitive impairments. As patients age, these impairments should be expected and addressed by both you and the patient.

  • Address end-of-life issues — make sure they express their wishes to the appropriate people. Examples of these issues are wills and life support.

Who will care for the aging population?

Dr. Solberg and colleagues with a patient Under the leadership of Laurence Solberg, MD, the IOA is launching initiatives that will improve the quality of care for older adults within the UF Health system and surrounding communities. Maria Belen Farias

Sorting out changes in the brain

Ronald Cohen, PhD Ronald Cohen, PhD, is the director of the UF Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research Program and a professor of aging and geriatric research within the UF College of Medicine. His research interests include clinical and experimental neuropsychology, cognitive and clinical neuroscience and neuropsychology of attention. Maria Belen Farias