By Jennifer M. McGivney
The Innovations in Aging Forum, hosted by UMass Boston, illustrated how the field of gerontology operates as a team sport.
The Innovations in Aging Forum brought 85 individuals to the University of Massachusetts Boston in February to discuss where gerontology research, education, and practice stand now and what the future holds. The work and collaboration of the forum participants illustrated how the field of gerontology operates as a team sport.
“Gerontology is inherently multidisciplinary, fostering collaboration across the range of academic disciplines and professions,” said Edward Alan Miller, professor and chair of the Department of Gerontology at UMass Boston, during his opening remarks. Miller is a fellow at the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston and serves on the center’s Steering Committee.
The forum highlighted the critical role that the field of gerontology can play in addressing how the nation will meet the demand for services and supports stemming from the exponential growth of the aging population. Attendees reviewed several timely questions that gerontologists can help answer, including:
- How can community centers and nonprofits serve the needs of aging adults?
- How will providers of long-term services and supports (LTSS) balance fiscal responsibility with good patient care?
- How can research influence policy and practice through evidence-based approaches?
Forum participants have devoted their professional and academic lives to creating solutions that answer such questions. They brought their expertise to discussions about what can be accomplished when people with a shared mission collaborate across disciplines. Miller characterized that mission in his opening remarks: “to seek to improve the quality of life and promote the well-being of people as they age through research, education, and practice.”
Attendees included UMass Boston students, faculty, and representatives of various centers within the Gerontology Institute, including the LTSS Center, Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and Pension Action Center.
Special guests from the Gerontological Society of America included Dr. James Appleby, its chief executive officer. Participants also included community partners that perform vital work for older adults in the Boston area: the Executive Office of Aging and Independence, Massachusetts Gerontological Association, UMass Medical School, and the University of New Hampshire.