Welcome to the Gerontology Institute
Activities of the Gerontology Institute involve basic and applied social and economic research on aging, policy analysis, service programs, and public education on aging policy issues. In addition, Gerontology Department students gain important research expertise through their participation in Institute projects.
Research at the Institute covers the following areas:
Demography of Aging (including immigration)
Driving and Aging
Economic Security in the Later Years
Grandparenthood and Later Life Families
Family Caregivers
Long-Term Care Funding
Nursing Homes and Home Health Care
Management of Aging Services
Productive Aging, Older Workers, Volunteering
Social Security and Retirement Benefits
Retirement Experience and Processes
Research in the Institute has been funded by the National Institute on Aging, the Administration on Aging, and national and regional foundations. For FY 2007-2008, funding exceeded $1.25 million.
The Institute also provides services to the elder community and professionals. These services include:
The Osher Life Long Learning Institute (OLLI)
OLLI is UMass Boston’s lifelong learning program for older adult learners. All of its over 500 members are 50 and older and are retired or partially retired. Members come from over 60 communities in Massachusetts.
The Institute is home to the Pension Action Center, which houses two service programs, the New England Pension Assistance Project and the National Pension Lawyers Network, and serves as the base for research in the area of pension policy as it relates to participants.
Journal of Aging & Social Policy
Important service to the scientific community is provided through editorship of The Journal of Aging & Social Policy. This is a peer-reviewed, quarterly journal published by Taylor & Francis. Professor Frank Caro is editor and Robert Geary managing editor. Forthcoming issues will cover International Perspectives of Older Workers, Advancing Aging Policy in the Second Decade of the Century, and Retirement Income Security in the Financial Crisis.