UMB Gerontology Institute
@umbgerontology.bsky.social
The Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston works to improve the aging experience through research, public service, and education.
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Welcome to Boston, GSA Annual Meeting attendees! UMass Boston Gerontology will once again have a strong presence at the @geronsociety.bsky.social Annual Scientific Meeting.
See the list of our faculty and student presentations ( lnkd.in/gEi8w8Gt) and please come say hi at Booth 111! #gsa2025
See the list of our faculty and student presentations ( lnkd.in/gEi8w8Gt) and please come say hi at Booth 111! #gsa2025
November 11, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Welcome to Boston, GSA Annual Meeting attendees! UMass Boston Gerontology will once again have a strong presence at the @geronsociety.bsky.social Annual Scientific Meeting.
See the list of our faculty and student presentations ( lnkd.in/gEi8w8Gt) and please come say hi at Booth 111! #gsa2025
See the list of our faculty and student presentations ( lnkd.in/gEi8w8Gt) and please come say hi at Booth 111! #gsa2025
Low- to moderate-income people in 30 cities and counties can get free help with legacy planning services, thanks to this program by @cfefund.bsky.social. UMass Boston gerontologists and Boston College economists partnered on this project, which empowers more people to protect their assets.
We're excited to announce that #FinancialEmpowermentCenters now offer legacy planning services. Counselors can help clients get finances in order, review insurance & titles, update who gets their accounts, and connect to resources for important docs like a will. Learn more: bit.ly/4hyNpAb
October 30, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Low- to moderate-income people in 30 cities and counties can get free help with legacy planning services, thanks to this program by @cfefund.bsky.social. UMass Boston gerontologists and Boston College economists partnered on this project, which empowers more people to protect their assets.
A report released today by the National Council on Aging and research partners at LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston reveals the startling relationship between wealth and mortality in the U.S. blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
October 7, 2025 at 7:48 PM
A report released today by the National Council on Aging and research partners at LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston reveals the startling relationship between wealth and mortality in the U.S. blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
Reposted by UMB Gerontology Institute
Come work with me! UMass Boston Gerontology is hiring a full-time faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor. Review of applications will begin October 15th. Please see the full position description:
employmentopportunities.umb.edu/boston/en-us...
employmentopportunities.umb.edu/boston/en-us...
Page Up - UMass Boston
lnkd.in
September 29, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Come work with me! UMass Boston Gerontology is hiring a full-time faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor. Review of applications will begin October 15th. Please see the full position description:
employmentopportunities.umb.edu/boston/en-us...
employmentopportunities.umb.edu/boston/en-us...
Let's hear it for our students and faculty who are in the midst of another busy semester - and who, together, are advancing the field of gerontology. 👏
Here, Dept. Chair Edward Miller and Gerontology Institute Director Michelle Putnam enjoy a pretty day on campus with third-year doctoral students.
Here, Dept. Chair Edward Miller and Gerontology Institute Director Michelle Putnam enjoy a pretty day on campus with third-year doctoral students.
September 8, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Let's hear it for our students and faculty who are in the midst of another busy semester - and who, together, are advancing the field of gerontology. 👏
Here, Dept. Chair Edward Miller and Gerontology Institute Director Michelle Putnam enjoy a pretty day on campus with third-year doctoral students.
Here, Dept. Chair Edward Miller and Gerontology Institute Director Michelle Putnam enjoy a pretty day on campus with third-year doctoral students.
About three million people who are 50 and older could be institutionalized rather than receive at-home services, due to federal Medicaid cuts. Learn more in this NYTimes story, which cites work by UMass Boston Gerontology researchers, Jane Tavares and Marc Cohen. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/m...
The Madden Sisters Don’t Want to Be Institutionalized
www.nytimes.com
August 19, 2025 at 3:47 PM
About three million people who are 50 and older could be institutionalized rather than receive at-home services, due to federal Medicaid cuts. Learn more in this NYTimes story, which cites work by UMass Boston Gerontology researchers, Jane Tavares and Marc Cohen. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/m...
“It is incredibly important that our interview approach is culturally responsive and safe," says Caitlin Coyle. "[Citizen scholars] not only bring their lived experiences as older Hispanic/Latino adults but their wealth of knowledge and skills at engaging their peers.”
blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
A Community-Based Approach to Study Isolation in Older Latino Adults – Gerontology Institute Blog
blogs.umb.edu
July 17, 2025 at 2:47 PM
“It is incredibly important that our interview approach is culturally responsive and safe," says Caitlin Coyle. "[Citizen scholars] not only bring their lived experiences as older Hispanic/Latino adults but their wealth of knowledge and skills at engaging their peers.”
blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
In 2016, older adults in Boston cited transportation and housing as key concerns. This year, another emerged: isolation.
“We heard a lot about third spaces and wanting to connect,” said Caitlin Coyle, director of the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging.
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
“We heard a lot about third spaces and wanting to connect,” said Caitlin Coyle, director of the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging.
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
Social isolation is a major health risk for older adults. Groups across Mass. are stepping up.
Rates of depression among older adults has increased since COVID, leading to an array of other physical health risks.
www.wgbh.org
July 7, 2025 at 8:06 PM
In 2016, older adults in Boston cited transportation and housing as key concerns. This year, another emerged: isolation.
“We heard a lot about third spaces and wanting to connect,” said Caitlin Coyle, director of the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging.
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
“We heard a lot about third spaces and wanting to connect,” said Caitlin Coyle, director of the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging.
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
What happens if people lose health insurance due to cuts in Medicaid or social safety net programs? Jane Tavares and Marc Cohen, gerontology researchers at UMass Boston who study health and financial wellbeing in later life, share research on what may come next.
theconversation.com/when-you-los...
theconversation.com/when-you-los...
When you lose your health insurance, you may also lose your primary doctor – and that hurts your health
When that important link is broken, your health gets worse and the costs borne by the whole health care system for your treatment rise.
theconversation.com
June 18, 2025 at 1:04 PM
What happens if people lose health insurance due to cuts in Medicaid or social safety net programs? Jane Tavares and Marc Cohen, gerontology researchers at UMass Boston who study health and financial wellbeing in later life, share research on what may come next.
theconversation.com/when-you-los...
theconversation.com/when-you-los...
We couldn't be any prouder. Meet our latest PhDs, who bring the UMass Boston gerontology PhD program up to 120 graduates.
These grads were part of a historic year: UMass Boston was named a top-tier research institution and conferred a record 134 doctoral degrees in May.
blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
These grads were part of a historic year: UMass Boston was named a top-tier research institution and conferred a record 134 doctoral degrees in May.
blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
Congratulations to our New Gerontology PhDs – Gerontology Institute Blog
blogs.umb.edu
June 16, 2025 at 1:15 PM
We couldn't be any prouder. Meet our latest PhDs, who bring the UMass Boston gerontology PhD program up to 120 graduates.
These grads were part of a historic year: UMass Boston was named a top-tier research institution and conferred a record 134 doctoral degrees in May.
blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
These grads were part of a historic year: UMass Boston was named a top-tier research institution and conferred a record 134 doctoral degrees in May.
blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
For #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, we look at the power of lifelong learning. OLLI at UMass Boston offers everything from Zoom lectures to in-person classes to international trips, and it shows how a lifelong learning community can improve well-being in older adults. blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
OLLI: Fun, with a Mental Health Boost – Gerontology Institute Blog
blogs.umb.edu
May 29, 2025 at 2:53 PM
For #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, we look at the power of lifelong learning. OLLI at UMass Boston offers everything from Zoom lectures to in-person classes to international trips, and it shows how a lifelong learning community can improve well-being in older adults. blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
"While the debate about how to reduce the budget focuses largely on dollars and cents, we believe that cutting federal spending on Medicaid would harm the health and well-being of millions of Americans by reducing their access to care."
-Jane Tavares & Marc Cohen, LeadingAgeLTSS Center @UMass Boston
-Jane Tavares & Marc Cohen, LeadingAgeLTSS Center @UMass Boston
Why do cuts to Medicaid matter for Americans over 65? 2 experts on aging explain why lives are at stake
When people over 65 lose Medicaid coverage, they stop seeing their doctors for preventive care due to high costs. This in turn leads to worse health outcomes and higher health care costs.
theconversation.com
May 14, 2025 at 2:56 PM
"While the debate about how to reduce the budget focuses largely on dollars and cents, we believe that cutting federal spending on Medicaid would harm the health and well-being of millions of Americans by reducing their access to care."
-Jane Tavares & Marc Cohen, LeadingAgeLTSS Center @UMass Boston
-Jane Tavares & Marc Cohen, LeadingAgeLTSS Center @UMass Boston
Just released: The 2025 Healthy Aging Data Reports reveal insights on aging in five New England States. This community-level data on health, housing, disparities, isolation, and more will shape the future of initiatives across the region.
Explore the data: healthyagingdatareports.org
Explore the data: healthyagingdatareports.org
Healthy Aging Data Reports | Helping residents, agencies, providers and governments understand the older people who live in their cities and towns
healthyagingdatareports.org
May 2, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Just released: The 2025 Healthy Aging Data Reports reveal insights on aging in five New England States. This community-level data on health, housing, disparities, isolation, and more will shape the future of initiatives across the region.
Explore the data: healthyagingdatareports.org
Explore the data: healthyagingdatareports.org
On May 1, a new set of Healthy Aging Data Reports will present a picture of aging in America provided nowhere else: a neighborhood-level study of challenges faced by older adults. At a time of tightening budgets, data that point to proven needs and measurable impact have become even more crucial.
Healthy Aging Data Reports: The Intersection of Social Justice and Data – Gerontology Institute Blog
blogs.umb.edu
April 23, 2025 at 4:30 PM
On May 1, a new set of Healthy Aging Data Reports will present a picture of aging in America provided nowhere else: a neighborhood-level study of challenges faced by older adults. At a time of tightening budgets, data that point to proven needs and measurable impact have become even more crucial.
“Federal Medicaid cuts could force up to three million people aged 50 or over to seek institutional care rather than being able to get the Home and Community Based Services they would otherwise receive in their homes.”
www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...
www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...
History Repeats? Faced With Medicaid Cuts, States Reduced Support For Older Adults And Disabled People | Health Affairs Forefront
Cutting federal Medicaid spending would have such negative consequences on older adults and people with disabilities because reductions in Federal reimbursements to states would leave states with toug...
www.healthaffairs.org
April 16, 2025 at 4:08 PM
“Federal Medicaid cuts could force up to three million people aged 50 or over to seek institutional care rather than being able to get the Home and Community Based Services they would otherwise receive in their homes.”
www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...
www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...
Reposted by UMB Gerontology Institute
Our PhD students in Gerontology continue to do great work in service of older adults. Check out 7 profiles of diverse experiences in aging captured by UMass Boston doctoral student @visualgerontology.bsky.social Nicholas Bradley blogs.umb.edu/spo/faces-in...
Faces in Aging Gallery – Sigma Phi Omega
blogs.umb.edu
April 12, 2025 at 1:55 AM
Our PhD students in Gerontology continue to do great work in service of older adults. Check out 7 profiles of diverse experiences in aging captured by UMass Boston doctoral student @visualgerontology.bsky.social Nicholas Bradley blogs.umb.edu/spo/faces-in...
Marc Cohen, co-director of LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, attended yesterday's conference to promote the WISH Act, a bipartisan proposal for a federal catastrophic long-term care insurance program for older adults with disabilities. Learn more about the WISH Act: blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
April 8, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Marc Cohen, co-director of LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, attended yesterday's conference to promote the WISH Act, a bipartisan proposal for a federal catastrophic long-term care insurance program for older adults with disabilities. Learn more about the WISH Act: blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
How could proposed Medicaid cuts affect nursing home care? This story includes predictions and insights from experts, including Edward Miller, PhD, chair of UMass Boston’s gerontology department. news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-a...
Nursing Homes Anxious as Republicans Ponder Deep Medicaid Cuts
The nursing home industry is in full fret mode over the possibility of deep Medicaid funding cuts by the Trump administration and congressional Republicans.
news.bloomberglaw.com
April 4, 2025 at 2:11 PM
How could proposed Medicaid cuts affect nursing home care? This story includes predictions and insights from experts, including Edward Miller, PhD, chair of UMass Boston’s gerontology department. news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-a...
The WISH Act is a case study in collaboration and negotiation. This act, which will be promoted in a 4/7 conference in DC by @tomsuozzi.bsky.social, is a rare piece of bipartisan agreement.
Learn about the people and processes that led to the WISH Act’s creation:
blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
Learn about the people and processes that led to the WISH Act’s creation:
blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
How to Create Bipartisan Support for Long-Term Care Financing Legislation? Talk to People You Disagree With. Then Listen. – Gerontology Institute Blog
blogs.umb.edu
April 2, 2025 at 1:47 PM
The WISH Act is a case study in collaboration and negotiation. This act, which will be promoted in a 4/7 conference in DC by @tomsuozzi.bsky.social, is a rare piece of bipartisan agreement.
Learn about the people and processes that led to the WISH Act’s creation:
blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
Learn about the people and processes that led to the WISH Act’s creation:
blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...
Did you read our latest newsletter? In this issue of Advances:
- A data-driven approach to create age-friendly programs in Massachusetts
- A podcast with a warning (and hope) about what’s next
- Research about how living arrangements affect cognitive aging
- A data-driven approach to create age-friendly programs in Massachusetts
- A podcast with a warning (and hope) about what’s next
- Research about how living arrangements affect cognitive aging
A Data-Driven Approach for Age-Friendly Programs
Email from Gerontology Institute Plus, a podcast with a warning (and hope) about what's next UMASS BOSTON GERONTOLOGY NEWS MARCH 2025 A Data-Driven Approach to Creating Age-Friendly Programs in Massac
myemail.constantcontact.com
March 31, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Did you read our latest newsletter? In this issue of Advances:
- A data-driven approach to create age-friendly programs in Massachusetts
- A podcast with a warning (and hope) about what’s next
- Research about how living arrangements affect cognitive aging
- A data-driven approach to create age-friendly programs in Massachusetts
- A podcast with a warning (and hope) about what’s next
- Research about how living arrangements affect cognitive aging
Cost of nursing home care: $100,000/yr. Cost of a home health aide or caregiver: $75,000/yr. It leads many to ask: Can you use home equity to pay for long-term care?
Marc Cohen, co-director of LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, shares how people can (and can't) cover long-term care bills.
Marc Cohen, co-director of LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, shares how people can (and can't) cover long-term care bills.
Can You Use Home Equity To Pay For Long-Term Care? | Bankrate
Can seniors use their home equity to pay for long-term care? It can be a smart move, but only if it's planned, with the right method in mind.
www.bankrate.com
March 27, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Cost of nursing home care: $100,000/yr. Cost of a home health aide or caregiver: $75,000/yr. It leads many to ask: Can you use home equity to pay for long-term care?
Marc Cohen, co-director of LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, shares how people can (and can't) cover long-term care bills.
Marc Cohen, co-director of LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, shares how people can (and can't) cover long-term care bills.
Reposted by UMB Gerontology Institute
"How Can We Better Support Family Caregivers? Pay Them." Caregiver focus groups shared the policies and preferences that would be most beneficial to them. bit.ly/4hQasFm
How Can We Better Support Family Caregivers? Pay Them
bit.ly
March 27, 2025 at 2:15 PM
"How Can We Better Support Family Caregivers? Pay Them." Caregiver focus groups shared the policies and preferences that would be most beneficial to them. bit.ly/4hQasFm
Do living arrangements affect the cognitive aging of older adults? That question is at the heart of research pursued by Qian Song, PhD, of UMass Boston. She focuses this research on two of the fastest-growing U.S. populations: older Asian American and Latin American adults.
Is There a Connection Between Living Arrangements and Cognitive Aging? – Gerontology Institute Blog
blogs.umb.edu
March 25, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Do living arrangements affect the cognitive aging of older adults? That question is at the heart of research pursued by Qian Song, PhD, of UMass Boston. She focuses this research on two of the fastest-growing U.S. populations: older Asian American and Latin American adults.
“We’re going to have an elder care crisis in about 10 years,” says Harry Margolis. “We don’t have the infrastructure or the people needed to help.” His podcast, Risking Old Age in America, addresses not just the extent of the problem but the ingenuity of those working to alleviate it.
A Crisis in Care is Coming: This Podcast Spotlights the People Who Create Solutions for Tomorrow – Gerontology Institute Blog
blogs.umb.edu
March 19, 2025 at 2:28 PM
“We’re going to have an elder care crisis in about 10 years,” says Harry Margolis. “We don’t have the infrastructure or the people needed to help.” His podcast, Risking Old Age in America, addresses not just the extent of the problem but the ingenuity of those working to alleviate it.
"The problem is urgent, and this practical, targeted solution is worthy of Congressional consideration and support by all who want to solve this growing problem.”
- Dr. Marc A. Cohen, gerontology professor and co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass Boston.
- Dr. Marc A. Cohen, gerontology professor and co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass Boston.
Suozzi Introduces One-of-a-Kind Bipartisan Bill to Address Senior Long Term Care Crisis
Washington, D.C.— Congressman Suozzi (D-NY) introduced bipartisan legislation with Congressman Moolenaar (R-MI) to creatively address America’s growing long term care crisis. The Well-Being Insurance ...
suozzi.house.gov
March 13, 2025 at 2:02 PM
"The problem is urgent, and this practical, targeted solution is worthy of Congressional consideration and support by all who want to solve this growing problem.”
- Dr. Marc A. Cohen, gerontology professor and co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass Boston.
- Dr. Marc A. Cohen, gerontology professor and co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass Boston.