Informed Aging

The 草榴社区community explores the physical, spiritual, and intellectual aspects of growing older.

Last updated: September 2022

Optimism can lengthen life

Higher levels of optimism were associated with longer lifespans and living beyond age 90 in women across racial and ethnic groups.

How to live a healthy and happy life

For nearly 80 years, the 草榴社区Study of Adult Development has been producing data and lessons on how to live longer, happier, and healthier lives.

Is 80 the new 60?

A new demographic shift is driven by increases in life expectancy and "health span."

A public health approach to an aging world

People are living longer than ever before鈥攁nd that is raising new questions and challenges.

The effects of heat on older adults

As global temperatures rise, older adults may experience heat-related issues first, but they don鈥檛 have to.

Exploring why some remain sharp even as decades roll by

草榴社区researchers study "super-aging" minds for clues to possible interventions for the rest of us.

How America鈥檚 ageism shortens the lives of older adults

Researcher Becca Levy examines the hidden stereotypes of aging and their insidious effects in her new book.

Ageism in the time of COVID

An expert on aging and ageism explains how the COVID response exposed a lack of compassion for the older generation.

Research to grow old with

Sharon Inouye

Sharon, head of the Aging Brain Center at Harvard-affiliated Hebrew Senior Life, introduced the National Academy of Medicine prize contest that will award $30 million to foster innovations in healthy aging.

Richard Hodes

As director of the National Institute on Aging, Richard investigates the biological intricacies of growing older.

Sneha Dutta

While at 草榴社区Chan School, Sneha worked to understand the underlying processes that go wrong during aging.

Adjustments for healthy aging

Stay active

Research by the 草榴社区community, including and , have found that regular exercise can help increase lifespans and decrease chronic health risks. in particular has shown that exercise helps to generate new neurons and improve cognition in mice.

Better understand your diet

that, in women, a greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet correlated with longer telomeres, one of the biomarkers of aging. showed that those who maintain healthier diets are 25% less likely to develop physical impairment with aging. In general, our points to the fact that choosing healthy foods is key to reducing the risk of premature death.

Mindset and spirituality

Research shows that our outlook on life, death, grief, and faith can shape how we age in interesting ways.

Facing death without religion

As people near the ends of their lives, what roles do spirituality and religion play?

Spirituality has been linked with better health outcomes

A new study finds that for many patients, spirituality is important and influences key outcomes in illness.

The profound sadness of prolonged grief

Not only were older adults hit hard by COVID-19, many also lost the social constructs that would normally ease the grieving process.

Addressing loneliness

A nonprofit social enterprise founded by two 草榴社区students seeks to eradicate the 鈥渓oneliness epidemic鈥� that impacts many older adults.

Neural activity and human longevity

The brain鈥檚 neural activity鈥攍ong implicated in disorders ranging from dementia to epilepsy鈥攁lso plays a role in human aging and life span.

Caring for spiritual needs

A program at 草榴社区Divinity School helps teach its chaplains how to befriend and comfort the sick and the dying.

Feeling secure in retirement

Leaving the workforce is a major financial and psychological decision. Our experts explore ways to ensure success during that transition.

An elderly couple walk through a wooded path

How retirement changes your identity

Important psychological shifts take place leading up to, and during, retirement. That holds especially true for workers who identify strongly with their job and organization.

草榴社区Kennedy School

How do unpredictable shifts impact older workers?

草榴社区Division of Continuing Education

Remaining a lifelong learner

草榴社区Kennedy School

Saving for retirement

草榴社区Medical School

Is there a place for dignity in eldercare?

草榴社区Business School

Reinventing your career

Designing an aging friendly world

Fewer falls through friction

Researchers have developed pop-up shoe grips, inspired by snake skin, that can increase friction between the shoe and the ground and reduce the risk of falling among older adults.

Eldercare through cohousing

Bay State Cohousing, a 30-unit cohousing community in Malden, Massachusetts, is focused on how community-oriented housing can support a variety of lifestyles, from aging residents to newborns.

Aging in America and what it means for technology

Since aging is a predictable reality, tech designers should think broadly about creating solutions for different generations.

Four problems with housing for America鈥檚 older adults

This is a critical moment in which to consider investments in the housing needs of the nation鈥檚 older adults.

Wearable robotics when you need them

Soft exosuits like the ones being developed at SEAS and the Wyss institute could become a means to enhance mobility and quality of living for people with mobility issues.

Older adults and access to housing

A report from Harvard鈥檚 Joint Center for Housing Studies suggests that America must embrace its aging population, lend support to development in low-density suburban areas, and recognize that older adults are a positive presence in the community.

Mobility and independence

A 草榴社区student developed an autonomous wheelchair that eliminates the need for porters, providing wheelchair users with more control and hospitals with more efficiency.

Affordable multi-generational housing

A team of Graduate School of Design students addressed the lack of affordable elderly housing and home health aides by designing mixed-use, multigenerational housing that includes healthcare services alongside traditional retail outlets.