How do Medicaid underpayments affect nursing home care? Learn the findings of a recent study on Medicaid reimbursement rates. “Payment policy is a critical lever for strengthening nursing homes.” – Edward Miller, Chair of UMass Boston Gerontology Dept. www.mcknights.com/news/medicai...

Congratulations to Marc Cohen and Jane Tavares, Ph.D. of LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston for writing one of the most-read HealthAffairs articles of the year! This ranked # 2 on the HealthAffairs Forefront most-read list: www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...

The LeadingAge Annual Meeting kicked off with a Joy Ride at UMass Boston, raising funds for Cycling Without Age. The goal to give more older adults access to the joy of bike rides -- which aren't just fun, but, in a way, a special kind of medicine. blogs.umb.edu/gerontologyi...

What kind of supports do home health aides receive on the job? How do those supports affect their experiences? At a time of increasing demand for home health aides, it’s crucial to understand which supports matter most to their job retention and satisfaction. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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

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...

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...

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...

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

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.

"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.

“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.

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JASP has released its third special issue addressing COVID's effects on older adults. The issue includes 25 articles from researchers from around the world, covering topics like vaccine mandates, racial and ethnic disparities, long-term facilities, and age-based COVID regulations.

Gerontology is a team sport. It requires the collaboration of multidisciplinary experts and community partners. Its work can be found in classrooms, neighborhoods, and legislative offices. Recently, 85 people gathered at UMass Boston to show the strength and potential of such a team.

How do older adults in Boston want to Age Strong? New research shows an emerging need. “This time, social connection is huge,” says Caitlin Coyle, PhD, director of CSDRA. “We’re hearing from people who want physical spaces to gather and to be in community with other people."