Written by Tim Peterson, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis While more and more people are taking an interest in aging and lifespan, awareness on healthspan lags (Figure 2). If you don’t know what healthspan means you aren’t alone. What is healthspan? Many might agree that “healthspan” can […]
Written by Bailey Widener, graduate assistant at the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at the Institute for Public Health For many of us, our vehicles are essential to our daily lives. We use our cars to commute to our jobs, to run errands, to visit with family and friends, and to accomplish countless other […]
Written by Mary Schaefer, executive director of the Mid-East Area Agency on Aging Missouri advocates are needed for seniors and senior programs. This past session of the Missouri legislature has clearly shown the need for our legislators and public officials to hear from their constituents about the value of seniors and the services that support […]
Written by Amy Sobrino, LMSW, program services coordinator at Memory Care Home Solutions When I think of this month’s theme of ‘Age out Loud,’ I think of bravery, courage, and challenging the status quo. There are countless examples of older adults ‘stepping outside’ of their comfort zone to challenge ageism. In my work with families […]
Written by Karen Berry-Elbert, manager at St. Louis NORC The vast majority of adults aged 65 and older still live in the homes in which they raised families and developed social networks. As the American population continues to age, more communities are home to growing populations of residents who have aged in place. In addition, […]
Written by Nikki Goldstein, MSW, executive director for Crown Center for Senior Living As we recognize May as older adult month, it begs the question, what is an “older adult”? Older than who? Older than what? Isn’t everyone over the age of 21 an older adult? Other than Benjamin Button, aren’t we all aging? As […]
Written by Jill Cigliana, MSOT, OTR/L, program director at Memory Care Solutions I am often asked, “Is there really quality time when living with dementia?” At my organization, Memory Care Home Solutions, we work with families to demonstrate that dementia is not an end to quality of life, but an opportunity to stay engaged and […]
Written by Gloria C. Gordon, PhD, psychologist and co-founder of STL Village This year’s theme for Older American’s Month, “Age Out Loud,” invites me to speak up loudly about ageism—the “ism” that refers to how our society stereotypes and treats older adults. As children we absorb and internalize the way we see older adults, including […]
Written by April Callen, strategy and outreach associate at Frameworks Institute We are a nation of problem-solvers. When we see an opportunity, we figure out how to seize it. And when we see that something isn’t working, we rethink our approach. We need to draw on our ingenuity so we can communicate more effectively about […]
Written by Stephanie Herbers, MSW/MPH, manager of the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at the Institute for Public Health Getting older doesn’t mean what it used to. Many aging Americans are finding ways to re-think traditional phases of life and give their interests, goals, and dreams a new or second start. Today, older adults […]
This article originally appeared on the Gerontological Society of America website and is reproduced here with permission. Older adults are powerful allies in addressing climate change, according to “Gray and Green Together: Climate Change in an Aging World,” the latest edition of Public Policy & Aging Report (PP&AR) from The Gerontological Society of America (GSA). Research shows […]
Written by Stephanie Herbers, MSW/MPH, manager of the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at the Institute for Public Health Dread the thought of talking about politics at your upcoming holiday events with family? Consider using the time to talk about preferences for end-of-life instead. According to a national survey sponsored by non-profit The Conversation […]
The 69th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) brings together more than 4,000 international experts and partners from academia, industry, government, and beyond to exchange information and to discuss the broader role of aging science. This meeting is the premier gathering of gerontologists from both the United States and around the world. Researchers in […]
In social work, the current evidence-based practice guidelines for working with LGBTQ older adults are offered by Fredricksen-Goldsen and colleagues (2014) who propose ten practice competencies that “account for the unique circumstances, strengths, and challenges facing LGBT[Q] older adults”. Two of these competencies are particularly aligned with social work values and ethics: Critically analyze personal […]
The Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at the Institute for Public Health hosted the 16th Annual Friedman Lecture & Awards on April 28. This year’s event explored the benefits of arts and creative expression for health and wellbeing. The event included a keynote by Linda Noelker, PhD, who reviewed the current evidence for the […]
In May, McDonnell International Scholars Academy partner Fudan University, and Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, hosted the 2015 Shanghai Forum. Faculty scholar Brian Carpenter represented the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging and presented his work on family relationships in later life at the international symposium. See the conference program and other publications at: shanghaiforum.fudan.edu.cn/en.
Written by Stephanie Herbers, MSW/MPH, manager of the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at the Institute for Public Health Venture Café is a weekly gathering of St. Louis innovators and entrepreneurs working in education, arts, healthcare, manufacturing, social enterprise, and many other sectors. If you want to learn more about the St. Louis startup […]
By Karen Sanders, encore innovation fellow at the Brown School Americans love the entrepreneurial spirit. Many imagine that entrepreneur as young, wildly energetic, sparking on a great idea, without a lot to lose other than a bit of time or a handful of someone else’s venture capital. The implication is that youth and limitless tolerance […]
On April 22, 2015, the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at the Institute for Public Health at Washington University recognized three individuals for their service to older adults in St. Louis at the center’s annual lecture. The 2015 Alene and Meyer Kopolow Award for Geriatrics, Psychiatry, and Neurology was presented to Brendan Lucey. The […]
There is a widespread belief that all older Americans are financially set, living their retirement years in relative comfort, able to enjoy their leisure time. It is true that the current poverty rate among older Americans is lower than that among children, thanks to the federal programs of Social Security and Medicare. But not all […]
“What do you want to have for dinner?”“Should we go to that art festival this weekend?”“Does this shirt make me look weird?” We ask our family and friends for their opinion and input all the time. Sometimes we ask about relatively minor things. Sometimes we ask about more major things. “Should I move to New […]
Communities throughout the United States are undergoing an unprecedented population shift, resulting in more residents over the age of 60 than under the age of 15. Professionals from many sectors – such as health care, business, social work, law, design – are needed to respond to the unique and diverse needs of older adults in […]
In 2014, Washington University in St. Louis announced it was partnering with the National University of Singapore to establish the Next Age Institute, an international collaboration to design, study and test social innovations. Launching in February 2015, the institute will address global challenges facing many families and communities, among them aging populations and rising inequality. […]
Many of the 40 million older adults in the United States are struggling financially. They lack the assets to see them through their later years, when they require more health care and other services than they expected. A new book, Financial Capability and Asset Holding in Later Life: A Life Course Perspective co-edited by Harvey A. Friedman […]
A network developing along the I-70 corridor in Missouri and Kansas will facilitate research and teaching teams on topics related to aging. The organizers are hoping to connect people, successfully compete for regional focused research, and share in the advancement of teaching gerontology through cooperative exchanges. The network is still in its early stages and […]
The Gerontological Society of America’s 67th Annual Scientific Meeting brings together more than 4,000 of the brightest minds in the field of aging. Washington University in St. Louis’ researchers in aging will be well represented at the meeting in Washington, D.C. with 28 posters and presentations (see full list below) and a workshop on Accelerating […]
The U.S. and many countries around the globe are undergoing an unprecedented population shift, resulting in larger proportions of people over the age of 60 than under the age of 15. This will result in changes in our workforce in terms of demographics and size. It will also increase the demand on our policies, products […]
In the near future, we will have more people over the age of 65 than under the age of 15. Due to many factors, we are living longer than ever before with Baby Boomers serving as an introduction to what will likely be a permanent change to our society. Most freshmen starting at Washington University […]
In June 2013 the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at the Institute for Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis hosted a meeting prior to the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatric’s World Congress in Seoul, South Korea. The meeting was the first opportunity for scholars working in aging to connect and begin to […]
The Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at the Institute for Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis has funded 10 proposals to support collaborations that will advance cross-national research and education on older adults, later life and aging societies. Each collaboration includes one or more faculty from Washington University in St. Louis and one […]