Lexi Balmuth, Lauren Cerino, Sophia Ashebir Present on AgeLab Research to Elder Services Professionals
by Adam Felts
AgeLab researchers Lexi Balmuth, Lauren Cerino, and Sophia Ashebir gave a presentation at Wingate Residences of Needham, a senior housing community, before a meeting of Massachusetts-based elder services providers. The audience was composed of around 50 professionals, including those in senior housing, financial services, aging in place, nutrition, social services, and home healthcare.
The researchers discussed the drastic increase in life expectancy in the U.S. from 1900 to the present – from 47 to 77 years old, on average. By 2040, adults over the age of 65 will outnumber children in the United States. With these demographic trends in mind, the AgeLab conducts research to understand how to improve quality of life for the fast-growing cohort of older adults.
Their presentation provided an overview of the AgeLab’s CareHIVE consortium, which studies the experiences of family caregivers, the C3 consortium’s work on social robots and smart home systems, and the 85+ Lifestyle Leaders panel, a community group and research panel of adults ages 85 and older that allows for the study of people on the “leading edge” of old age. AGNES, a suit that simulates the physical effects of aging, was also discussed, as well as OMEGA, the AgeLab’s scholarship program for high school students involved in intergenerational programming, and the AgeLab’s Aging and Equity speaker series, which highlights emerging-career researchers who study intersections between aging and marginalized communities in the United States.
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