UMASS BOSTON GERONTOLOGY NEWS | |
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On January 25, 2025, Jan Mutchler will retire as the director of the Gerontology Institute and as professor of gerontology at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Boston. Mutchler’s four years as director have created great impact on the Gerontology Institute, with a tenure that saw record-breaking fundraising and strengthened connections, which progressed research and influenced policy, while preparing students to advance the field in the years to come.
“I am very proud of the Institute’s growing impact along the core dimensions of university life alongside the other aspects of our work: developing and carrying out research, building partnerships that serve the public good, and participating in student training,” Mutchler says. “I wish for continued success along those dimensions and especially look forward to see continued integration of gerontology’s work across projects, centers, and departments.”
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How can workplaces support employees with caregiver-friendly policies? And which policies would be most helpful to caregivers? Pamela Nadash, Ph.D., associate professor in UMass Boston’s Gerontology Department, has researched matters of family caregiving and shares ideas that could help employers and employees alike.
Nadash shared some of the big takeaways that she and Gerontology Department PhD student Maryssa Pallis have gleaned from mounds of data, as well as some opportunities she’s identified for companies to support employees with much-needed benefits.
Photo credit: Dario Valenzuela on Unsplash
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Last fall, a report by UMass Boston researchers showed that Medicaid reimbursements fall short of covering the actual costs of nursing home care for Medicaid residents. That research will now go a step further and try to examine how closely Medicaid payment-to-cost ratios affect outcomes in nursing homes.
“Now that we know, on a facility-by-facility basis, what the Medicaid payments are, what the nursing home costs are, and the relationship between payments and costs, we can relate those to outcomes,” says Edward Alan Miller, Ph.D., principal investigator of the study and a professor and chair of the Department of Gerontology at UMass Boston.
Pictured: Edward Alan Miller, Ph.D., principal investigator and professor and chair of the Dept, of Gerontology at UMass Boston
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OLLI at UMass Boston begins a new winter session, inviting Boston-area residents to try the program, free of charge.
“We’re not just an organization, but we’re a lifelong learning community,” says director James Hermelbracht. “It’s an amazing experience that allows folks to continue their lifelong learning journey.”
Photo credit: Ben Kolde
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Emily Kennerley, John Kimpel, Jeanne Medeiros, Tyler Compton, Ellen Bruce, Len Fishman, Anna-Marie Tabor, Phyllis Borzi, Katherine Hesse | |
Happy 30th Anniversary, PAC! | |
On November 19, 2024, people gathered at the University of Massachusetts Club to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Pension Action Center, a center within the Gerontology Institute at UMass Boston. Current staff, previous directors, board members, and friends of the organization celebrated the three decades that PAC has spent providing free legal counseling for workers and retirees who seek to secure retirement benefits. (View 30th Anniversary Photo Gallery) Over that time, PAC has returned more than $72 million to more than 12,000 people. | |
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UMASS BOSTON GERONTOLOGY IN THE NEWS
Tuition Waiver is Least We Can Do for ‘Grandfamilies’: In this editorial, Janelle Fassi -- a fourth-year gerontology doctoral student at UMass Boston -- argues in favor of a legislative bill that would give tuition waivers to all state colleges and universities to children raised by a legally recognized caregivers, including grandparents.
Gen Xers and Millennials Aren't Ready for the Long-term Care Crisis Their Boomer Parents are Facing: Business Insider interviewed Marc Cohen about the looming crisis faced by Gen Xers and Millennials who will help pay for their parents' care, with sacrifices that may affect their own future financial stability.
Medicaid Reimbursement and Nursing Home Costs with Edward Miller: In this podcast, Estate Planning for Boomers: Risking Old Age in America, Edward Miller discusses his research in Medicaid reimbursement for nursing home costs, as well as the implications for long-term planning. An accompanying article summarizes the podcast.
New Massachusetts Law Seeks to Address Long-Term Care Issues: The AARP interviewed Marc Cohen about a new state law to address challenges at long-term care facilities, including staffing and infection control.
Living Longer, Struggling More: The Economic Challenges of Aging. What are the financial implications of longer life spans? This story examines the financial landscape that older Americans face, citing data from the Elder Index.
10 Popular States Where Social Security Benefits Don't Come Close to Covering the Cost of Living: FinanceBuzz uses the Elder Index, developed by UMass Boston's Gerontology Institute, to show retirees' need for supplemental income in 10 states.
Medicaid Payments Fall Far Short of Covering Care Costs at Nursing Homes: Skilled Nursing News covers the research by the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass Boston and Miami University that showed a gap between the costs of providing nursing home care and the Medicaid reimbursement rates.
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Gerontology Institute at University of Massachusetts Boston
Wheatley Hall 3rd Floor, Room 124A
UMass Boston,100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125
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