Sharon Stahl Wexler

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About

Sharon Stahl Wexler is a leading researcher in gerontological nursing, with a focused expertise on leveraging technology to enhance the well-being of older adults. Her primary research areas include geriatric care, social and physical frailty, and the innovative use of robotic pets to improve patient outcomes. Dr. Wexler’s major contributions are best exemplified by her groundbreaking randomized controlled trials. Her most cited work, a 2022 study published in a high-impact journal (13 citations), demonstrated that robotic pets significantly reduce social and physical frailty in community-dwelling older adults following hospital discharge, comparing an intervention group of 107 participants to a control group of 113. Her earlier 2018 trial (4 citations) further established her impact, showing that robotic pet therapy—using cats and dogs with audible heartbeats—improves cognition, reduces loneliness and depression, and decreases delirium, falls, and restraint use among hospitalized older adults. These studies have positioned Dr. Wexler as a pioneer in non-pharmacological, technology-driven interventions for aging populations, offering a compassionate, scalable solution to combat social isolation and frailty. Her work continues to influence nursing practice and geriatric care protocols.