Medical News: Self-Neglect Marker for Mortality in Elderly - in Geriatrics, General Geriatrics from MedPage Today

By Peggy Peck, Executive Editor, MedPage Today When the glow of the so-called golden years is tarnished by self-neglect or abuse, the net result, not surprisingly, is excess mortality, according to a longitudinal study of almost 10,000 Chicago septuagenarians. Data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP) revealed that reported self-neglect (when a person refuses to adequately feed, shelter, or clothe himself and/or refuses medications or medical care) was associated with a nearly six-fold increase in risk of dying within the year, according to XinQi Dong, MD, of Rush University Medical Center, and colleagues. Read More