UMASS BOSTON GERONTOLOGY NEWS

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025

The GSA Annual Meeting Comes to Boston

The Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America came to Boston this year, and a record number of students, faculty, and alumni of UMass Boston Gerontology were part of the event. The department contributed about 120 presentations, both podium and poster, during the conference, which was held November 12 to 15, 2025.

“This conference is a chance for us to disseminate our research, to connect with colleagues who are doing work in similar areas,” says Edward Alan Miller, chair of the UMass Boston Gerontology Department. “After a certain period, these collaborators become your friends, and together, you get inspired by their work and get new ideas for future projects.”

LeadingAge Annual Meeting Begins with a Joy Ride

This year, LeadingAge kicked off their annual meeting in Boston with a Joy Ride. On November 2, 2025, people gathered at the UMass Boston campus to raise awareness of the joy that bike rides can bring to older adults. The event—sponsored by Cycling Without Age (CWA), Leading Age, and UMass Boston Gerontology—raised enough money to buy a trishaw for the Plymouth CWA chapter that will allow more older adults to experience the fun of bike rides, even if they’re unable to pedal one themselves.

“For older folks in assisted living, cycling is a welcome respite from what, for many, is a largely indoor routine,” says Martin Hansen-Verma, program manager of the Gerontology Department at UMass Boston. “It’s a chance to experience a sense of freedom and exploration, and connect with others in that active, joyful mode."

UMass Boston Gerontology in the News

Social Security’s 2.8% COLA for 2026 is Sparking Debate Over How the Annual Increase Gets Calculated. CNBC talked with experts, including Gerontology Institute Director Michelle Putnam, to learn how older adults fare under current Social Security benefits.

Medicaid Pays 82 Cents on the Dollar. That Hurts These Nursing Homes Most. McKnights Long-Term Care News reports on a recent study by UMass Boston Gerontology researchers about the effect that Medicaid underpayments have on nursing home care.

New Study: Helping Others Slows Cognitive Decline by Up to 20%: SciTechDaily highlights a recent study by researchers at the University of Texas Austin and Jeffrey A Burr of UMass Boston showing how meaningful social interactions can provide a lasting cognitive benefit.

Better Retention of Direct Care Staff May Begin with Next-level Supervisor Support. McKnights Long-Term Care News interviewed Robyn Stone, co-director of LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, about the need to train and support frontline supervisors.

States Lead Effort to Fix America's Long-Term Care Crisis: As the national system for long-term services and supports becomes increasingly underfunded, Marc Cohen—co-director of LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston—shares how states are testing solutions.

New York Seniors Losing Ground in Battle for Economic Security, the 2024 NYS Elder Economic Security Index Finds. The Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging, part of the Gerontology Institute, released a report that reveals sharp disparities in economic security across gender, ethnicity, marital status, and geography.

Why the Poor Die 9 Years Earlier Than the Rich: An Interview with Dr. Marc Cohen: WSWS interviews Marc Cohen about the recent study on wealth and mortality by researchers at NCOA and the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston.

Reducing the Fall Risks Among Older Adults. A new public initiative launches to reduce fall risks among older adults, supported by the need demonstrated through the 2025 Healthy Aging Data Report developed by a team at UMass Boston Gerontology.

Connecticut’s Assisted Living Home Care Services Expands into Massachusetts. This story on the move of a homecare agency into Massachusetts cites data from the 2025 Massachusetts Healthy Aging Data Report.