GSA on Aging

The use of cannabis among older adults is increasing in the United States. While cannabis use has been suggested to help alleviate chronic symptoms experienced by older adults, its potential adverse effects may lead to unintended consequences, including increased acute healthcare utilization related to its use. This GSA Policy Profile delves into what has happened in the environment since 2021 whe...

A staffing crisis in long-term care has created challenges for residents, caregivers, and direct care workers. Despite the decreasing number of cases of COVID-19, interest in long-term care employment continues to dwindle. This staffing crisis, which resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, has become a chronic problem. This podcast episode will feature the work and insights of GSA members Katherine M...

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Reuben Ng at the Le Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore about two papers on ageism on TikTok published in The Gerontologist.  In " Not Too Old for TikTok: How Older Adults Are Reframing Aging ", he and his co-author examine how older adults use TikTok, and in " Hostility Toward Baby Boomers on TikTok ", they examine the reaction of youn...

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Kathy Black at the University of South Florida about her article, " Assessing Age-Friendly Community Progress: What Have We Learned? ", which appeared in the special issue of The Gerontologist, Age-Friendly Environments .  Dr. Black's article led off the special issue and summarized the overall performance of age-friendly communities. For an overview of the special i...

State and federal policies influence care delivery in long-term care facilities in a variety of ways. Following the President’s 2022 State of the Union Address, the White House Fact Sheet: Protecting Seniors by Improving Safety and Quality of Care in the Nation’s Nursing Homes highlighted four new initiatives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help ensure adequate staffin...

Amid persistently inadequate numbers of direct care workers for resident care, long-term care administrators and staff members continue in their attempts to provide care for residents. The staffing crisis has led to regulatory issues, new sanctions from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and benchmarks for quality of care while facilities care for frail and dependent residents in the...

A chronic and often untreated disease, obesity has emerged over the past half century as a major source of morbidity and mortality in the United States and many other countries worldwide. Despite the recognition of obesity as a chronic disease, public policies limit access to a full range of obesity care services for many individuals who would benefit from comprehensive, interdisciplinary care for...

Research shows the impact of poor hearing and hearing loss on older adults – such as poor daily communication, cognitive decline, depression, and social isolation. We know that all too often the high cost of hearing aids, which have not been covered by Medicare, discouraged millions of Americans from buying the devices.  In fact, it is estimated that only about one-fifth of Americans with hearing...

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Drs. Daniel George at Penn State College of Medicine and Peter Whitehouse at Case Western Reserve University about their co-authored book, “American Dementia: Brain Health in an Unhealthy Society,” published last year by Johns Hopkins University Press.  Information about the book can be found at http://www. AmericanDementia.com . The Gerontologist published a review of t...

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Laura Wagner, a nurse and researcher from University of California, San Francisco, about two papers from the special issue of The Gerontologist, Workforce Special Issue on the Workforce , which was published in June 2021: 1. Medical Staffing Organization and Quality of Care Outcomes in Post-acute Care Settings by L. M. Wagner, P. Katz, J. Karuza, C. Kwong, L. Sharp,...

In this episode, Len Fishman, JD, the newly retired Director of the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, visits with hosts Danielle A. Waldron, PhD, and Jo-Ana D. Chase, PhD, to reflect on pivotal moments he watched unfold in field of aging during his fruitful career. Fishman shares his thoughts on the introduction of assisted living in the United States and what these...

In the United States, 10 million older adults live in rural communities. Rural older adults often face unique health disparities related to limited finances, public transportation, and access to health and support services. However, describing challenges alone does not address health disparities. Improving the health of rural people requires community input and innovation to tackle the social dete...

Mentorship plays an important role in our professional and personal development. Mentors guide us, connect us, and advise us as we navigate the path towards our goals. In this episode, Dr. Keith E. Whitfield shares his mentorship experiences, both as a mentor and mentee, in the field of aging. Listen in to hear more about how mentorship has shaped one of the most distinguished careers in aging. Gu...

Stigma of dementia is one of the greatest barriers for people living with dementia and their care partners. It can lead to low self-esteem, poor mental health, and a decreased quality of life. Research shows that older adults fear dementia more than cancer, stroke, and heart disease combined. Despite this knowledge, few studies focus on actions to improve understanding and reduce stigma of dementi...

Most of us know we should exercise and eat well for optimal health but caring for our social relationships also benefits our physical, mental, and cognitive health. In this episode, Dr. Christine Proulx sits down with host Hanamori Skoblow to discuss how positive relationships protect and negative relationships strain. They also discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on close relationships an...

Conversations about death and dying are difficult for everyone, but they are especially important for older adults. In this podcast episode, Dr. Deborah Carr and host Brenda Olmos discuss how to bring up these topics in a way that is sensitive, culturally appropriate, and efficient for both patients and providers. Along the way, they talk about their personal experiences related to end-of-life iss...

Approximately 42 million family caregivers in the United States provide unpaid care for an older adult. Family caregivers can spend countless hours engaging in complex activities—such as medication management, wound care, and care coordination—that can influence their own financial security, health, and well-being. In this episode, Dr. Susan Reinhard talks with host Dr. Jo-Ana Chase about the scie...

Older adults are essential workers, caregivers, and volunteers. They provide many services in the community as volunteer drivers for Meals on Wheels, tutors and mentors for school programs, and other meaningful roles. Ways to shape social policies and programs to optimally engage the growing human capital of the older population is a compelling issue. In addition to discussing her research career...

Many people assume that pain is a normal part of getting older. Although pain is not inevitable, it is a serious concern for those who experience it. Yet older adults with pain are likely to receive different qualities of treatment depending on their race and/or ethnicity. Dr. Tamara Baker talks to host Brenda Olmos about disparities in treatment for pain management and why it is critical to ackno...

In our youth-centric culture, people tend to dread the prospect of getting older. But why do we shy away from aging, which is certainly the most natural human experience and can be a beautiful part of life? When it comes down to it, most of us will encounter aging firsthand—or so we hope! About one in four adult Americans also experiences disability, with disability becoming more common as people...

Welcome to Science and Storytelling: A GSA on Aging Podcast Series that celebrates The Gerontological Society of America’s 75th Anniversary. The limited series will highlight the expansive field of gerontology—the study of aging. In each episode, we’ll sit down with one of GSA’s 5,500 members—including researchers, educators, and practitioners—to discuss some of the most consequential research fin...

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Raina Croff, an anthropologist at the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center at Oregon Health and Science University about her paper, “ The Whitest City in America: A Smaller Black Community’s Experience of Gentrification, Displacement, and Aging in Place ”, published in The Gerontologist. This qualitative study of gentrification draws on a focus group conducted...

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Suzanne Meeks, Editor-in-Chief of The Gerontologist, about the recently published special collection of The Gerontologist, Gerontology in a Time of Pandemic ( Part I in February 2021; and Part II in March 2021), that brings together fascinating papers on the COVID-19 pandemic.  The three articles published in Part I, which were highlighted in this episode, were: " Na...

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Stephanie Prost from the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville.  Dr. Prost is an expert in the aging prison population, and, "Prisons and COVID-19: A Desperate Call for Gerontological Expertise in Correctional Health Care" , her paper recently published in The Gerontologist, examines the impact of COVID-19 on the incarcerated population.  They di...

In this episode of The Gerontologist Podcast, Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Ms. Rowan ten Kate, a doctoral student at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands. In her paper, “A Closer Look at Loneliness: Why Do First-Generation Migrants Feel More Lonely Than Their Native Dutch Counterparts?” , which was published in the March 2020 special issue of The Gerontologist on immigration and aging , sh...