In the inaugural episode of the GSA Policy Intern Podcast Series, meet the 2023 GSA Summer Policy Interns. Alisha Thompson, Bailee Brekke, and Christina Mu, who have aptly named themselves Team ABC, briefly introduce themselves and the series. The series aims to share the experiences of GSA Policy Interns both past and prese nt, provide insights on how to connect with this year’s interns during and after the Annual Scientific Meeting, and will include interviews with colleagues of Drs. Greg O’Neil and Kathy Hyer, for whom the internship is named. The episode serves as a brief introduction and ..read more

The podcast episode will tell specific stories to illustrate the wide range of work members of the interest group are conducting on the impact of human-animal interaction and aging. The members of this group represent the interdisciplinary nature of both gerontology and anthrozoology (i.e., the field of human-animal interaction). The podcast will be comprised of three main topics: 1. Gerontologists’ role in establishing the field of anthrozoology in the 1970s and 1980s; 2. The establishment of the interest group in 2016; 3. Current work being conducted by members of the group around the world ..read more

Eighty-one year old Lincoln Phillips is a former soccer coach at Howard University who led the men's team to win its first NCAA Division I Championship in 1971. He is also the first Black professional soccer coach in US history and the first Black coach to win an NCAA tournament.  His story has been documented on ESPN’s SportsCenter of this historical win.  Produced by the celebrated Spike Lee, this documentary highlights Mr. Phillips’ and the Howard University soccer team’s historic win (Howard University's Soccer Redemption Song: A Spike Lee Lil' Joint - The Shadow League). Guest ..read more

Dr. Harry R. Moody joins the GSA Religion, Spirituality, and Aging Interest Group to share religious concerns and spiritual insights on paths to being a nobody. Listen for more as we plumb depths of storytelling, scientific research, public health, wisdom, love and aging. We hope our conversation will help hearts come alive, even for a tiny second.  Recommended Reading: Dass, R. (2001). Still here: Embracing aging, changing, and dying. Penguin.  Moody, H. R., & Carroll, D. (1998). The five stages of the soul: Charting the spiritual passages that shape our lives. Anchor.  Ma ..read more

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Shabnam Haghzare, PhD about her paper, “Can Automated Vehicles Be Useful to Persons Living With Dementia? The Perspectives of Care Partners of People Living With Dementia”, published in The Gerontologist last year.  Dr. Haghzare completed this work as part of her doctoral dissertation in biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto where she was also a postdoctoral researcher at the KITE Research Institute at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute at Toronto University.  KITE stands for “Knowledge, Innovation, Talent, Everywhere.” She is currently an A ..read more

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 when GSA published Medical Use of Cannabidiol in Older Adults, which was based on a convening of experts in pharmacy, clinical medicine, research, law, and policy. Additional resources: Common Terminol ..read more

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 will feature the work and insights of GSA members Katherine McGilton, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, and Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA. Dr. McGilton’s research focus is on the care of persons with cognitive impairment, particularly in identifying interventions and models o ..read more

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 younger adults to the ways that older adults use TikTok.  Taken together, these two papers shed light on fascinating sub-cultures of the virtual world.  Both articles are published in the Octob ..read more

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Kathy Black at the University of 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 issue, check out the editorial by Dr. Meeks: Age-Friendly Communities: Introduction to the Special Issue   ..read more

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 staffing, dignity, and safety in their accommodations and quality of care. Each state is also guided by distinct and different regulations. This podcast will feature the work and insights of GSA members Tara ..read more