Caring for older adults with obesity: Applying an innovative framework to a complicated disease

Obesity is a chronic and all too often untreated disease that contributes to diabetes, hypertension, liver and kidney disorders, and a variety of other conditions. Additionally, for older adults in particular, obesity can cause functional limitations and decreased independence. In order to support primary care teams to implement a comprehensive and contemporary approach to caring for older adults with obesity, The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) applied its KAER-Kickstart, Assess, Evaluate, Refer-Framework, initially developed as a framework to promote well-being and positive health-related outcomes for people living with dementia and for their families, to caring for older adults with obesity. Informed by an interdisciplinary expert advisory panel, GSA developed The GSA KAER Toolkit for the Management of Obesity in Older Adults. This freely available, online resource provides primary care teams with tools and resources to support older adults to recognize and care for their body size challenges and improve their overall health and well-being. Additionally, it supports primary care providers to evaluate themselves and their staff for potential biases or false beliefs so that they can provide person-centered, evidence-based care for older adults with obesity.