GSA on Aging

Science and Storytelling: Trailer

Welcome to Science and Storytelling: A GSA on Aging Podcast Series that celebrates The Gerontological Society of America’s 75th Anniversary. The limited series will highlight the expansive field of gerontology—the study of aging. In each episode, we’ll sit down with one of GSA’s 5,500 members—including researchers, educators, and practitioners—to discuss some of the most consequential research findings in our discipline as well as innovations that contribute to healthy aging and promising future endeavors to improve the lives of older adults. And, we’ll do it all while showcasing the people behind the work by exploring: What brought today’s gerontologists to this field? What inspires and galvanizes them? What’s the story behind the science? 

The Gerontologist Podcast: Gentrification, Displacement, and Aging in Place in a Black Community with Dr. Raina Croff

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Raina Croff, an anthropologist at the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center at Oregon Health and Science University about her paper, “The Whitest City in America: A Smaller Black Community’s Experience of Gentrification, Displacement, and Aging in Place”, published in The Gerontologist. This qualitative study of gentrification draws on a focus group conducted with participants in the SHARP walking study, a project that combines physical exercise (walking) with reminiscence and photo-imagery. You can find more information about the project in a 2019 article published in The Gerontologist.
Article (Published online on March 27, 2021 in The Gerontologist)

The Gerontologist Podcast: Special Collection: Gerontology in a Time of Pandemic

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Suzanne Meeks, Editor-in-Chief of The Gerontologist, about the recently published special collection of The Gerontologist, Gerontology in a Time of Pandemic (Part I in February 2021; and Part II in March 2021), that brings together fascinating papers on the COVID-19 pandemic.  The three articles published in Part I, which were highlighted in this episode, were:
"National Profiles of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Mortality Risks by Age Structure and Preexisting Health Conditions" by A. M. Verdery, L. Newmyer, Wagner, and R. Margolis
"'It's Pure Panic': The Portrayal of Residential Care in American Newspapers During COVID-19" by L. D. Allen and L. Ayalon
"Social Isolation and Psychological Distress During the COVID-1 Pandemic: A Cross-National Analysis" by H. H. Kim & J. H. Jung
In the final part of their conversation, the editors brief discussed Part II of the special collection.
Check out the previous episode, COVID-19 and the Aging Prison Population with Dr. Stephanie Prost, which discusses the paper, "Prisons and COVID-19: A Desperate Call for Gerontological Expertise in Correctional Health Care", published in Part I of this special collection.

The Gerontologist Podcast: COVID-19 and the Aging Prison Population with Dr. Stephanie Prost

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Stephanie Prost from the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville.  Dr. Prost is an expert in the aging prison population, and, "Prisons and COVID-19: A Desperate Call for Gerontological Expertise in Correctional Health Care", her paper recently published in The Gerontologist, examines the impact of COVID-19 on the incarcerated population.  They discussed the challenges faced by aging prisoners and how COVID-19 poses additional complications.  After speaking with Dr. Prost, Dr. Degenholtz called Dr. Mandy Garber, a psychiatrist who has worked in jail and prison environments and spoke with her about the consequences of the pandemic for people with mental health problems. 
For more information and guidance surrounding COVID-19 in correctional settings, visit Amend at https://amend.us.
For resources regarding advance care planning during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit Prepare for Your Care at https://prepareforyourcare.org/welcome.
Article (February 2021 special issue of The Gerontologist, "Gerontology in a Time of Pandemic")

The Gerontologist Podcast: Loneliness of First-Generation Dutch Migrants with Ms. Rowan ten Kate

In this episode of The Gerontologist Podcast, Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Ms. Rowan ten Kate, a doctoral student at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands. In her paper, “A Closer Look at Loneliness: Why Do First-Generation Migrants Feel More Lonely Than Their Native Dutch Counterparts?”, which was published in the March 2020 special issue of The Gerontologist on immigration and aging, she analyzed data from a large national survey that included older first-generation immigrants as well as native-born people.  She found that migrants were more lonely than their native-born counterparts, and that this association was not moderated by the frequency of social contact.  The implications for well-being in this population was discussed.  In the second segment, Dr. Degenholtz talked to his mom about first-generation immigrants in their own family tree - her father and grandmother.
Article (March 2020 special issue of The Gerontologist, "Immigration and Aging")

The Gerontologist Podcast: Emotional Labor of Home Health Aides with Dr. Emily Franzosa

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Emily Franzosa at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the James J. Peters VA Medical Center about her paper on the emotional labor of home health aides. Her paper, “Who’s Caring for Us?”: Understanding and Addressing the Effects of Emotional Labor on Home Health Aides’ Well-being, published in the December 2019 issue of The Gerontologist, reports on focus groups conducted with groups of aides, finding that being close and having trusting relationships with clients were important to aides’ emotional well-being.  The conversation highlighted the importance of recognizing emotional labor and the limitations of the current system that do not reward or even explicitly acknowledge the psychological toll that caring can have on paid caregivers.  Dr. Degenholtz talked to his mother about the people who have cared for their relatives, including his uncle and his grandmother, and tried to parse out what motivates people above and beyond pay to do this challenging work.
Article (December 2019 Issue of The Gerontologist)
Disclaimer: This interview does not represent the views of the US Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States government.

The Gerontologist Podcast: Driving Cessation & Transportation Needs Among Older Adults with Dr. Anne Dickerson

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Anne E. Dickerson at East Carolina University about her research on driving cessation and transportation needs among older adults, the topic of her paper published in The Gerontologist, "Transportation and Aging: An Updated Research Agenda to Advance Safe Mobility among Older Adults Transitioning From Driving to Non-driving." They talked about having a 'transportation plan' and how to use rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft. In the second part of the episode, Dr. Degenholtz talked to his mom about her opinion on driving cessation and rideshare services.
 
Article (April 2019 Issue of The Gerontologist)

The Gerontologist Podcast: Care Conferences in Nursing Homes with Dr. Gloria Puurveen

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Gloria Puurveen at University of British Columbia about her research on people with advanced Alzheimer's Disease. Her paper, “A Seat at the Table: The Positioning of Families During Care Conferences in Nursing Homes,” published in the October 2019 issue of The Gerontologist looks at care conferences, an important and often overlooked aspect of how nursing homes are run. The study was part of her post-doctoral fellowship. Dr. Degenholtz wrapped up the episode a conversation about the topic with the regular contributor of The Gerontologist Podcast, his mom.
 
Article (October 2019 issue of The Gerontologist)

The Gerontologist Podcast: Robotic Pets in Dementia Care with Dr. Wendy Moyle

In the fourth episode of The Gerontologist Podcast, Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Wendy Moyle at Griffith University about her research using robotic pets for people with dementia.  Her paper, "She Had a Smile on Her Face as Wide as the Great Australian Bite": A Qualitative Examination of Family Perceptions of a Therapeutic Robot and a Plush Toy, published in the 2018 special issue of The Gerontologist on technology an aging, expands this work to explore the impact of the robotic pets on family members. After speaking with Dr. Moyle, he called his mom to see what she thinks about using robotic pets for people with dementia.
Article (February 2019 special issue of The Gerontologist, "Technology and Aging")

The Gerontologist Podcast: Mindfulness Interventions for Dementia Caregivers with Dr. Rebecca Collins

Dr. Degenholtz interviewed Dr. Rebecca Collins about her clinical practice and research on mindfulness-based interventions. Her paper, The Effectiveness of Mindfulness- and Acceptance-Based Interventions for Informal Caregivers of People With Dementia: A Meta-Analysis, published in The Gerontologist provides a great meta-analysis of the effectiveness of these strategies for dementia caregivers.  After speaking with her, Dr. Degenholtz called his mom to see what she thinks about mindfulness and acceptance based strategies.
Article (Published online on April 4, 2018 in The Gerontologist)