Gerontology Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston

Created by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1984, the Gerontology Institute conducts research and policy analysis in the field of aging, and offers direct services to older adults, government agencies and NGOs through its four centers. The Institute has four priority areas of research—(1) productive aging; (2) economic security; (3) social and demographic trends; and (4) long-term services and supports—with special emphasis on low-income and minority elders. The Institute is located within the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy & Global Studies whose gerontology program (offering PhD, Master’s and undergraduate degrees) is one of the oldest and largest in the world.

The Institute has four centers. The Pension Action Center provides free legal assistance to retirees (and their survivors) who have been wrongfully denied their pension benefits, and has recovered over $55 million for clients in the six states of New England and Illinois. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute offers 130+ courses, lectures and tours each year to 1,100 older adult members. The Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging helps government agencies and NGOs project and prepare for changes in the older adult population. The Center on Long Term Services & Supports focuses on the financing and delivery of services across the LTSS spectrum, from housing with supportive services to skilled nursing care and hospice.