By Geralyn Magan
The LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston today established its digital presence on the Internet by unveiling its new website: www.LTSScenter.org.
The new website represents an important milestone in the development of the LTSS Center, which was established in 2017 by LeadingAge and the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The joint center blends the resources of a major research university with the expertise and experience of applied researchers working with providers in the field of long-term services and supports (LTSS). It also builds on UMass Boston’s partnership with Community Catalyst, a national consumer health advocacy organization.
The LTSS Center collaboration is helping LeadingAge and UMass Boston expand their capacity to conduct research in the field of aging. The new center is working in several new research areas, including LTSS financing, aging and health, and consumer engagement. It is also expanding the groundbreaking research that LeadingAge has conducted for decades in the areas of workforce, housing, and nursing home quality.
The LTSS Center’s new capacity is also helping researchers in Washington, DC and Boston expand their program evaluation work for LeadingAge members, and provide a training ground for UMass Boston graduate students interested in pursuing careers in LTSS research.
AN ONLINE RESEARCH SHOWCASE
The new LTSScenter.org website will showcase the LTSS Center’s work while offering visitors a comprehensive repository of academic and applied research that bridges policy and practice in the field of aging.
“We’ve taken great care to design a website that is both comprehensive and easy to navigate,” says Dr. Robyn Stone, co-director of the LTSS Center and vice president of research at LeadingAge. “Our goal was very simple: to establish a research destination that providers, researchers, policy makers, and consumers will visit again and again to stay up-to-date on cutting-edge research in the field of LTSS and aging services.”
LTSScenter.org is designed to be interactive as well as informative, according to Dr. Marc Cohen, LTSS Center co-director and professor of gerontology at UMass Boston.
“We’ve been intentional about developing ways for visitors to engage with us,” says Cohen. “We want to build an online community with individuals who share our commitment to addressing the challenges and seizing the opportunities associated with a growing older population. When we’re all working together, we can accomplish great things.”
WEBSITE FEATURES
The LTSScenter.org website shares findings and publications associated with LTSS Center research studies in 6 Areas of Work:
- Workforce: Exploring strategies for strengthening the LTSS workforce.
- Housing: Assessing the role of housing plus services models in affordable senior housing communities.
- Nursing Homes: Identifying evidence-based practices to enhance nursing home quality.
- Financing: Finding new approaches to financing long-term services and supports.
- Aging and Health: Building a robust evidence base for healthy aging.
- Consumer Engagement: Engaging older adults in our work and encouraging other LTSS organizations to do the same.
LTSScenter.org also features:
- A searchable Resource Library featuring a comprehensive collection of books, reports, journal articles, videos, guides, and case studies authored by LTSS Center fellows.
- A blog section where researchers share their insights about the latest trends in the LTSS field, and offer updates on the research they’re conducting.
- A place to learn about and register for upcoming events in the field of aging services.
- Information about the LTSS Center, including a video and introductions to the LTSS Center’s researchers and funders.
- An archive of news and feature articles exploring how the LTSS Center’s work is influencing policy and practice in the field of aging.
We hope you’ll visit LTSScenter.org today. In addition, feel free to contact us at LTSScenter@umb.edu or LTSScenter@leadingage.org and let us know what you think of our website, and how you’d like to participate in our work.