GSA Advances Initiative to Change 'Conventional Wisdom' on Aging

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) has obtained multi-year grant funding from several foundations to spearhead the next phase of the Reframing Aging Initiative, reports EurekAlert . The goal is to counter ageism and guide U.S. strategies to ensure healthy and productive aging for all people across their life spans. Archstone Foundation, the John A. Hartford Foundation, the Retirement Research Foundation, and the SCAN Foundation will underwrite the GSA effort, with additional funding from Endowment for Health. "It's now been 50 years since pioneering gerontologist Robert Butler coined the term 'ageism,'" says GSA Chief Executive James Appleby. "Changing cultural attitudes is not a small undertaking, but we have to start, playing our appropriate leadership role as researchers, practitioners, and educators in the aging field." The Leaders of Aging Organizations previously collaborated with the nonprofit FrameWorks Institute to research public perceptions of aging, and then FrameWorks developed and tested approaches and tools to reduce implicit bias against seniors. The next phase will entail GSA building an infrastructure to sustain the initiative's traction, and engage professionals in the field to boost awareness of the initiative and the resources available. GSA also will supply training and technical assistance, as well as back local, regional, and state organizations in their efforts to counter pervasive ageism.