UMASS BOSTON GERONTOLOGY NEWS

APRIL 2025

Healthy Aging Data Reports: The Intersection of Social Justice and Data

On May 1, 2025, a new set of The Healthy Aging Data Reports will be released by a team at the Gerontology Institute at UMass Boston. The Healthy Aging Data Reports present a detailed picture of aging in America that’s provided nowhere else: a neighborhood-level examination of the challenges faced by older adults. At a time of tightening budgets, data that point to proven need and measurable impact have become even more crucial.

“This is what is magic about our report: We report at very local levels,” says Elizabeth Dugan PhD, PI of the project and associate professor of gerontology at UMass Boston. “That empowers advocates who live in those communities. It helps policymakers make smarter investments, and helps philanthropists see what their investments yield over time.”

How to Create Bipartisan Support for Long-Term Care Financing Legislation? Talk to People You Disagree With. Then Listen.

On April 7, Congressmen Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and John Moolenaar (R-MI) held a conference in Washington, D.C. to promote their bipartisan Well-Being Insurance for Seniors to be at Home, or WISH, Act. The WISH Act calls for a federal catastrophic long-term care insurance program for older adults with disabilities, which includes both public- and private-sector components. Marc Cohen, co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, was part of the team that created the blueprints for this act.

This legislation stands out for two reasons. One, the WISH Act proposes a solution to an ongoing crisis that affects millions of older Americans and their families: how to pay for long-term care. Second, it’s championed by both a Democrat and a Republican, making this a rare piece of bipartisan agreement in 2025.

How Age Inclusive Is Your Campus? New Research Shows the Potential of Key Strategies to Expand Age Inclusivity in Higher Education

With changes in enrollments occurring nationwide, higher education faces significant challenges in the years ahead. How colleges and universities approach these challenges will determine their ability to survive, particularly when combined with inflationary pressures and cuts in funding.

More than economics affect the future of higher education. Demographic changes are as well: Not only are there larger numbers of older adults, but they are also living longer and healthier lives. There are ample demographic data showing that these individuals seek opportunities to enhance their lives by furthering or restarting their education. Yet, significant challenges remain in making these opportunities available.

Upcoming Events

Doctoral Hooding Ceremony

University of Massachusetts Boston May 28, 2025, 10:00 a.m.

Graduate Commencement Ceremony

University of Massachusetts Boston May 28, 2025, 3:00 p.m.

Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony

University of Massachusetts Boston

May 29, 2025, 10:00 a.m.

UMass Boston Gerontology in the News

History Repeats? Faced with Medicaid Cuts, States Reduced Support for Older Adults and Disabled People: This Health Affairs article, with authors including Marc Cohen and Jean Tavares of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, explains how federal cuts could force millions of people to seek institutional care rather than receive care at home.

Nursing Homes Anxious as Republicans Ponder Deep Medicaid Cuts: In this Bloomberg Law story, Edward Miller shares his thoughts on how potential Medicaid cuts may affect nursing home care.

Can You Use Home Equity to Pay for Long-Term Care? In this Bankrate story, Marc Cohen shares how Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and home equity can cover (and how they can’t cover) long-term care bills.

Study Finds Wellness Teams Boost Health in Senior Housing: Hebrew SeniorLife shares research about the Right Care, Right Place, Right Time program that was conducted by Edward Alan Miller, Pamela Nadash, Elizabeth Simpson, and Marc A Cohen.

Haowei Wang Named 2025-26 Fellow by Association of Population Centers: Haowei Wang, alumna of the Gerontology program at UMass Boston, will research social determinants of healthy aging in a global context. Wang is the assistant professor of sociology at Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Dean's Award Ceremony at Brown University: Emily Gadbois, alumna of UMass Boston Gerontology, has earned the Dean's Award for Excellence in Community Engagement at Brown University's School of Public Health. She's the Assistant Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice at Brown.