URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Fall_2018_Melissa-McCarthy

Caring for an Aging Population written by Allison Farrelly ’16

Steven Cohen Assistant Professor Health Studies

This year, the U.S. Census predicted the year 2030 as an “important demographic turning point” when all Baby Boomers will be older than 65, meaning that one in every five U.S. residents will be retirement age. For the next 11 years, each and every day, approximately 10,000 Baby Boomers are turning 65 years old within the United States. University of Rhode Island’s (URI) Steven Cohen, assistant professor of health studies, hopes his research can influence better policies to support an aging population and the people who will care for them. Cohen is comparing aging populations in rural and urban areas, examining factors that influence life expectancy, and exploring the impact these factors have on caregivers’ lifestyle. He was inspired by his own family to examine the impact that caring for an elderly person can have on unpaid caregivers, in most cases a family member of the care recipient. After his grandmother’s debilitating stroke, and observing the impact of caring for her had on his mother,

“Rhode Island has an older population relative to most other states. But we also have some of the highest quality health care services and opportunities for health promotion in the country. “

- Steven Cohen

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