Meta-Trends in the Holistic Care of Older Adults

This paper introduces trends in clinical practice and technologywhich impact the way we approach work with older adults. The population over age 65 is not merely an aged mirror of its younger self. Instead, the aging adult is impacted by variables which can alter the trajectory of aging and quality of life. Based on our holistic model of the treatment of older adults, we address 10 trends in aging: brain complexity, epigenetics, biopsychosocial modeling, new approaches to understanding aging, cardiovascular health, lifestyle, prevention, precision medicine, therapy, and purpose in life. Emphasized is the impact of changes in lifestyle behaviors to promote longevity and quality of life. Each factor is examined based on its ability to address the needs of geriatric medicine. These trends influence our ability to change the future of geroscience. We discuss these trends within the context of clinical care with older adults and the potential applications of these advances.