Demographic changes are affecting the future of higher ed: Older adults seek to enhance their lives by furthering or restarting their education. Yet, challenges remain in making these opportunities available.
The WISH Act is a case study in collaboration, compromise, and negotiation. Learn about the people and organizations who created a pragmatic proposal for long-term care insurance for older adults with disabilities.
How do living arrangements affect the cognitive health of Asian American and Latin American older adults? Is there a relationship between the cognitive aging of older adults and whether they live alone or with others? These questions are at the heart of the research pursued by Qian Song, PhD, an assistant professor and the undergraduate program director of the Gerontology Department at University Massachusetts Boston.
Harry Margolis, a fellow with the Gerontology Institute, hosts the podcast, Risking Old Age in America. His conversations with lawmakers, scholars, housing experts, and more reveal not just the immensity of the emerging care crisis but the ingenuity of those who work to alleviate it.
The Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging leads engaged research in neighborhoods around the city to learn the needs of older adults. The findings from these conversations guide the city’s Age Strong campaign. “This research allows the City of Boston to implement programs that are closely aligned with what residents need and look for,” says Caitlin Coyle, PhD, CSDRA director.
The Innovations in Aging Forum invited special guests from the Gerontological Society of America to learn about the work being done by the Gerontology Department and the Gerontology Institute, as well as their partners.
The third special issue of the Journal of Aging & Social Policy addressing COVID has been published, nearly five years after its first COVID issue. “Putting these 25 articles together in one volume will hopefully further draw attention to the work around COVID and its impacts globally, particularly for older adults,” says Edward Alan Miller, Ph.D., JASP editor-in-chief.
Gov. Maura Healey signed legislation that approved changing the name of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs to the Executive Office of Aging & Independence.
“The name change is a signal of the investment that the state has made in terms of eroding ageism, specifically in the way that we communicate about aging,” says Caitlin Coyle, Ph.D., director of the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging, part of the Gerontology Institute. “That is a huge and very public-facing action that signals that change is happening.”
The Gerontology Institute at UMass Boston welcomes Dr. Michelle Putnam as its new director, beginning January 27, 2025.
“I love the Gerontology Institute. It’s such a storied institution and important place,” Putnam says. “It’s a privilege for me to serve as the director of one of the first institutes solely focused on gerontological research in the United States.”
During a tenure that saw record-breaking fundraising and strengthened connections, Mutchler created significant impact for the Institute. On January 25, 2025, Jan Mutchler will retire as the director of the Gerontology Institute and as professor of gerontology at University of… Continue Reading →
