Talking aging and well-being for older adults with University of Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (05/04/2026) — May is Older Americans Month, a time to recognize and support the health, well-being and independence of those ages 65 years and older. Benjamin Rosenstein, MD, MA, with the University of Minnesota Medical School and M Health Fairview talks about health screenings that matter, managing multiple medications, recognizing cognitive changes and supporting well-being as we age. 

Q: What health screenings do older adults most commonly skip, and why do they matter?
Dr. Rosenstein: Of the screenings typically advised by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), I find DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) scans are the most commonly skipped. These scans help identify individuals with osteoporosis, a condition that places them at higher risk of fractures. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality data show that for women over age 65, only 67% reported ever getting a DEXA scan (less than 50% when you include women over age 50 with additional risk factors). Additionally, while men are generally at a lower risk, screening is difficult to obtain because USPSTF recommendations are inconclusive; however, the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that all men be screened at age 70 or older. The rate of osteoporosis increases substantially with age. More than 70% of women over the age of 80 and more than 25% of men over age 80 have osteoporosis and are at a significantly increased risk of hip and vertebral fractures. Such fractures can lead to significant pain, immobility, loss of function, and contribute to increased mortality risk.

Fortunately, we have interventions to prevent significant fractures and associated outcomes when osteoporosis is identified early. Unfortunately, too often, the diagnosis of osteoporosis is made after a fracture has occurred.

Q: How can older adults manage multiple medications safely?
Dr. Rosenstein: Multiple measures can be taken to assist with managing many medications. Pillboxes may help arrange and track medications. If this becomes very complicated, or an individual has difficulty arranging a pillbox, they can ask their physician or pharmacist about using mail-order pharmacies that provide pill packs. It’s also a good idea for older adults to regularly review their medications with their primary care provider and/or pharmacist to discuss if there are medications that can be:

1. Discontinued 
2. Combined (combo pills)
3. Simplified — daily vs. twice daily dose

I wish this were more easily available from the electronic health record system, but for some patients, I create a pictorial medication list. Many of my older patients identify their medications by shape and color rather than by name.

Q: What are some important things that older adults can do to aid in healthy aging?
Dr. Rosenstein: It sounds cliché, but a healthy diet and exercise are crucial in healthy aging. We have studied many aspects of aging. Time and time again, the things that support independence and function over time are maintaining a healthy diet and, perhaps even more consistently, exercise — especially resistance training. Muscle mass and associated muscle power greatly support an individual's function, mobility, balance and independence. Exercise classes can also support an individual’s socialization, which in turn supports cognition, mood, and function. Some of these elements are individual — doing the exercise, cooking healthier foods. Some are societal — providing transportation to a gym or a grocery store, access to healthier foods, access to safe activity spaces and time for regular activity. Many of these public health measures can support older adults, as The Lancet Commission Report shows. 

Q: When should an older adult or their family members be concerned about memory or cognitive changes? 
Dr. Rosenstein: Honestly, anytime. We have done older adults a disservice by saying there are memory or thinking changes that are normal for aging without detailing those changes. Some changes are expected, but too often, changes are brushed off as normal. It’s not a bad idea to bring these to your primary care provider and discuss if changes are expected — some are — or if they are more concerning. A few more concerning changes that I see are: memory changes that affect typical daily activities or previously known activities, like hobbies; changes in behavior and/or mood, or changes in language abilities. Additionally, I look for changes after something: a medication change, a hospitalization, an injury or a life event (e.g., retirement, a move to a new location or the death of a family member). Importantly, a change in memory or thinking does not necessarily mean dementia, but it is worth evaluating for that, as well as other possible causes.

Q: How has your work had an impact on the state of primary care/geriatrics?
Dr. Rosenstein: I’ve primarily been doing work broadly in medical education. I’ve also been working with faculty in the Medical School to introduce more regular geriatrics curriculum and activities. I’m seeing some of the first students now in their clinical rotations, and I can see that at least some elements are staying with them. I work directly with residents at St. John’s Family Medicine residency and frequently discuss geriatric principles in caring for their older patients, both in the clinic and in the hospital, and when they rotate in the nursing home with me. Additionally, I’ve been able to provide “consults” on geriatrics concerns, frequently memory concerns, to both enhance their care and provide education. Currently, I’m focused on implementing the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) at M Health Fairview St. John's Hospital. With the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Age-Friendly Healthcare Systems requirements, as HELP advances at St. John's, we will be able to expand across the system.

Dr. Benjamin Rosenstein is an assistant professor in the Medical School’s Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and a geriatric medicine physician with M Health Fairview. His clinical interests include primary and specialty care for older adults across multiple settings, as well as health and aging policy initiatives.

-30-

About “Talking...with University of Minnesota”
“Talking...with University of Minnesota” is a resource whereby University of Minnesota faculty answer questions on current and other topics of general interest. Feel free to republish this content. If you would like to schedule an interview with the faculty member or have topics you’d like the University of Minnesota to explore for future “Talking...with University of Minnesota,” please contact University of Minnesota Public Relations at [email protected]. 

About the University of Minnesota Medical School
The University of Minnesota Medical School is at the forefront of learning and discovery, transforming medical care and educating the next generation of physicians. Our graduates and faculty produce high-impact biomedical research and advance the practice of medicine. We acknowledge that the U of M Medical School is located on traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of the Dakota and the Ojibwe, and scores of other Indigenous people, and we affirm our commitment to tribal communities and their sovereignty as we seek to improve and strengthen our relations with tribal nations. Learn more at med.umn.edu.