UMASS BOSTON GERONTOLOGY NEWS

JULY 2025

A Community-Based Approach to Study Isolation in Older Latino Adults

A team of researchers, including citizen scholars from the community, is studying how to assess and alleviate loneliness and isolation among older Latino adults. “What I like about this particular project is that it’s not UMass Boston doing this off in a room somewhere, but instead, they’re going to the community itself,” says Arnaldo Solis, a citizen scholar. “They’re talking to the community, individually and in groups, to find out what’s happening and why.”

Informing the Debate: How Medicaid Cuts Will Affect Older Adults

As policy makers have debated proposed Medicaid cuts this summer, Marc Cohen and Jane Tavares have been busy researching and writing. Cohen and Tavares, both with the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, have dived into data to explore what these potential cuts may mean to older adults.

Their work has had quite a reach. One story, Why Do Cuts to Medicaid Matter for Americans Over 65?, has already been read more than 100,000 times, after being reprinted in outlets such as the Philadelphia Inquirer and Katie Couric Media. Their research has been cited by Newsweek, NPR, and Scientific American.

The Connection Between Work History, Race/Ethnicity, and Health in Later Years

How does someone’s work history—specifically, the physical demands of that work over the life course—affect their health as they age? What is the correlation between race/ethnicity and work conditions, and how may that contribute to health disparities in older adults?

These questions compelled Sung Park, PhD, assistant professor of gerontology at UMass Boston, to begin her recent study.

“In the United States, we spend a lot of our adult life at work, and yet it’s not clear how that work impacts us beyond money and benefits such as healthcare,” Park says. “This study looks at the physical demands performed by Americans throughout their working lives to understand how physical health in later life is affected by this differential exposure, by race and ethnicity.”

Upcoming Events

Master Plan for Aging System Change Symposium: Long-Term Services and Supports Financing, Affordability, and Access

Thursday, July 31, 2025 | 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Registration Info

Join the California Department of Aging for the Master Plan for Aging System Change Symposium to learn about the findings of the Long-Term Services and Supports Financing Initiative and the Home and Community Based Services Gap Analysis. 

In this two-part webinar, the work covered in Part 1 and which is led by the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston and Community Catalyst, you’ll hear from subject matter experts and stakeholders who will speak to the challenges and the opportunities associated with addressing the LTSS financing needs of California’s “overlooked middle” population.  The second part of the webinar led by researchers from Mathematica will focus on gaps in service delivery for people with home and community-based care needs. 

Healthy Aging Martha's Vineyard's Discussion on Ageism

Thursday, July 31, 2025 | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. | Registration Info

Stillpoint, 20 Stillpoint Meadows Road, West Tisbury

Join this community discussion on creating an island where, whether young or older, age is not a factor for discrimination. Director of the UMass Gerontology Institute’s Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging, Caitlin Coyle, Ph.D, and HAMV Board chair, Robert Laskowski, will moderate this conversation exploring ageism—stereotyping and discrimination based on age—and how it impacts our community.

Perspectives on Quality, Rigor, and Publishing in Qualitative Research

A Joint Webinar from the Family Caregiving and Qualitative Research SIGs

Monday, August 11, 2025

1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Central Time | Registration Info

A joint webinar from the Gerontology Society of America's Family Caregiving and Qualitative Research Interest Groups featuring a panel of experts who will share their perspectives on conducting and publishing high-quality qualitative research. Panelists will discuss key considerations around rigor, quality, and navigating the publication process, with a focus on research related to family caregiving.

Panelists include Dr. Michelle Putnam, Editor-in-Chief, Innovation in Aging and Director, Gerontology Institute; Dr. Weil, Towson University, Associate Editor, Journal of Women in Aging and Associate Professor, Department of Health Sciences, and Dr. Tonya Roberts, Co-Editor of Qualitative Research for The Gerontologist, and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Associate Professor, and Karen Frick Pridham Professor in Family-Centered Care, School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The Overlooked Middle: An Update on California’s LTSS Financing and Affordability Initiative for Middle-Income Older Adults and People with Disabilities.

2025 HCBS Conference, Baltimore, MD

August 24-28, 2025 | Registration Info

Ana Acton, Assistant Deputy Director, California Department of Aging; Marc Cohen, PhD., Co-Director, LeadingAge LTSS Center, University of Massachusetts, Boston; Leena Sharma, Director, Center for Community Engagement in Health Innovation, Community Catalyst

UMass Boston Gerontology in the News

After the Gabriel House Fire, Here's How to Keep Your Loved Ones in Assisted Living Safe. The Boston Globe quoted Michelle Putnam in this story that shared advice for those who have loved ones in assisted living facilities and feel worried after the fire in a Fall River facility.

Are 5 Million Able-Bodied Medicaid Recipients Watching TV All Day? That’s Unsupported. PolitiFact debunks a claim shared by a CNN senior political commentator about Medicaid recipients, citing research by Marc Cohen and Jane Tavares about who is really affected by Medicaid work requirements. Many other outlets, including KFF Health News, republished this piece as well.

Social Isolation is a Major Health Risk for Older Adults. Groups Across Mass. Are Stepping Up. WGBH interviews Caitlin Coyle in this story about fostering connection for older adults in Massachusetts.

Some in Seattle Area Retire Abroad to Save Money: This Seattle Times story interviews people who’ve retired abroad, as well as Michelle Putnam, Director of the Gerontology Institute, about the pros and cons of this strategy -- and what it reveals about aging in the U.S. The story cites the Elder Index in its research.

GSA Awards Student Leadership Award to Janelle E. Fassi, MS, PhDc. Congratulations to Janelle Fassi for earning the award, which recognizes a student whose leadership has advanced the goals and mission of the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education.

How Would Social Security Caregiver Credits Affect Employment Choices? Pamela Nadash and Jane Tavares, both of UMass Boston, were part of a study that examined how caregiver credits could affect people's choices regarding finances, work, and caregiving.

Interactive Look at New Hampshire's Aging Population: WMUR created these interactive tools, based upon the findings of the Healthy Aging Data Report, assembled from a team at UMass Boston led by Beth Dugan.

Elizabeth Chen Appointment to Lead Online MHA Program: Chen, who earned her PhD in gerontology from UMass Boston, is the inaugural program director of the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program at UMass Amherst.

Family Health Stress and Insomnia Symptoms Among Older Adults: The Moderating Role of Activity Engagement. The Journal of Applied Gerontology featured Jeein Law's article as part of the Editor’s Choice Collection. Congratulations to Law and co-authors, Jeffrey Burr, Edward Alan Miller, Jeffrey Stokes, and Sung Park.

Chronic Health Cost Burden in Older Caregivers and NonCaregivers in the United States. The Gerontologist awarded this story as its 2nd Editor's Choice of the quarter. Congratulations to Molly Wylie, Jane Tavares, Maryssa Pallis, and Marc Cohen.

Happy Anniversary, MVES!

Community Gathers to Launch MVE's 50th Year. To celebrate its golden anniversary, Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) -- under CEO Lisa Gurgone, a UMass Boston alum -- launched a year-long commemoration of service to older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers. At the event, keynote speaker Edward Alan Miller, professor and chair of the Department of Gerontology at UMass Boston, discussed the increasing need for long-term support services.

Pictured: James Oosterman, MVES board member; Mike Festa, former state director of AARP of Massachusetts; Edward A. Miller; Lisa Gurgone