PSU Institute on Aging Newsletter, Winter 2026

We blinked and it’s 2026! While this year has been off to a whirlwind start, we’re hoping you’re finding quiet moments to slow down and enjoy this unusually early spring. Maybe right now is one of those quiet moments, where you can dig into some exciting updates from the IOA corner of the world! 

We are thrilled to host a virtual “meet ‘n greet” with professionals in the field of aging on Tuesday, 3/3 from 12-1:30PM. Join students from PSU, PCC, and WOU to get to know people working across disciplines, including policy and advocacy, palliative and hospice care, dementia caregiver support, community-based organizations, and more!

This spring, we're thrilled to offer three gero courses in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. As always, talk to your advisor or reach out to Serena (wserena@pdx.edu) if you need advising support! 

PHE 556 - Health Aspects of Aging | PHE 516 - Families and Aging | PHE 510 - Social Justice and Aging

OCEBHA awarded $1.25M from the US Administration for Community Living! This 3-year grant will build a statewide chronic disease self-management education program for older adults living with behavioral health needs! Through continued collaboration with faculty and staff from Portland State University's Institute on Aging, OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, and OHSU School of Medicine, we’re excited to provide two evidence-based interventions that support older adults who live in licensed long-term care communities and in the community through local senior centers throughout Oregon. 

Evaluating Experiences with Connective Technology Programs:  We are currently evaluating technology-based programs designed to reduce social isolation and feelings of loneliness among older adults receiving long-term services and supports via Medicaid in Oregon for the Oregon Department of Human Services, Aging and People with Disabilities Division. We’ve just begun talking with participants of these programs to learn more about their experiences. 

Problem Gambling and Older Adult Behavioral Health: This contract with the Oregon Council on Problem Gambling (OCPG) is to conduct a gap analysis of Oregon’s higher education curriculum to determine the extent topics related to older adult behavioral health, including problem gambling are included in social work, psychology, counseling, and gerontology programs across Oregon. Findings from this project will inform strategies to strengthen workforce training and education to meet the needs of older adults experiencing gambling and behavioral health challenges.

Look out for a series of posts on LinkedIn that feature alumni of the Graduate Gerontology Certificate Program! Check out our first post featuring Ann McQueen, Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement and Training Coordinator with Oregon Department of Human Services.

In January, many of the students who traveled across Japan in September shared their experiences, research, and memories with the support of Dr. Jacklyn Kohon, who led the trip. As we plan ahead for next year’s study abroad opportunity, any students or community members (you don’t need to be a student!) who are interested in participating can contact Dr. Kohon at jacklynk@pdx.edu. 

Using the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to Fund Assisted Living: Mapping the Current Environment, co-authored by Dr. Paula Carder, in partnership with Johns Hopkins University faculty, shows how rarely the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), a primary mechanism for financing affordable housing in the US, has been used to finance assisted living over time. It describes characteristics of neighborhoods that have LIHTC-backed assisted living facilities (AL) and compares LIHTC-backed AL to non-LIHTC-backed AL.

What Matters to Residential Long-Term Care Residents: Contextualizing Perceptions of Person-Centered Care, authored by Luis Cordero, MPH, Dr. Sarah Dys, and Dr. Diana White, compares what matters to residents and how they experience personalized care across nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, residential care facilities, and adult foster homes in Oregon.

Validity and reliability of the Resident VIEW (Voicing importance, experience, and well-being) and its short form, authored by Dr. Ozcan Tunalilar and Dr. Diana White, asserts that Resident VIEW is a valid and reliable tool for assessing resident care preferences within person-centered care, and shares a short form version for use in research and quality improvement projects.

Trends in Assisted Living and Memory Care Supply From 2019 to 2023, co-authored by Dr. Ozcan Tunalilar and Dr. Lindsey Smith, describes the geographic variation and its correlation with county-level characteristics.

Trends in Private Equity Acquisitions of Assisted Living Facilities, co-authored by Dr. Lindsey Smith and Dr. Paula Carder, is a groundbreaking cross-sectional study that adds to the limited existing knowledge of the landscape of private equity acquisition of assisted living.

The Scope and Impact of Walking the Talk for Dementia 2024, co-authored by Dr. Walter Dawson and led by Dr. Sherril Gelmon (OHSU-PSU School of Public Health) provides results of evaluation of a global educational initiative integrating a walk along the Camino de Santiago in Spain with a symposium to combat dementia stigma and raise awareness. 

We are a cross-disciplinary group of students - undergraduate and graduate - who are passionate about working in the aging field! Join our student chapter to build relationships, learn from each other, and collaborate on projects with and for older adults.

🗓️ Next meeting: April 7th @ 12:40PM | virtual 

Better with Age funds PSU faculty interested in pursuing research on aging issues. Applications for the 2026-2027 funding cycle are due April 15, 2026. Click here to download the information sheet and reach out to betterwithage@pdx.edu with any questions. An information session will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM for faculty interested in submitting a proposal. To register, click here.

Feb 25: The Future of Medicare-Medicaid Integration: The Medicare Rights Center will hold a webinar to reflect on lessons learned from state integration efforts of Medicare and Medicaid, the evolution of Medicare Savings Programs, and what lies ahead for the Health Policy Lab.

Feb 26th: Letter to an Elder Day! We’re encouraged to write a letter to an older adult in our life, and/or write to an older adult who has requested mail. 

March 3rd @ 12PM - Careers in Aging Meet ‘n Greet with Aging Professionals (Virtual)

March 3 @ 1PM - SALC 101 Spring Term Orientation/Refresher: Are you a new senior auditor? Have you audited courses in the past, and you need a refresher? Join us for an in-person overview of the SALC registration process.

March 10: Protect Medicaid: State Revenue Strategies for Aging and Disability Advocates, will include a discussion about what the H.R. 1 funding cuts mean for the programs older adults and people with disabilities rely on to meet their basic needs, and provide strategies for how advocates can engage with their states to protect them. Presenters will provide a high-level overview of state budget processes and revenue options and will share practical steps that aging and disability advocates and providers can take.

March 11: The Impact of Family Caregiving on Person-Centered Outcomes: This webinar will highlight the latest NCI data, with a focus on person-centered outcomes and how these vary for people who primarily get support from paid family caregivers compared to other types of caregivers. 

March 17: Addressing Food Insecurity for People Living Alone With Dementia: This webinar will provide insight into an innovative, volunteer-based food delivery model created to better support seniors living alone with dementia. Participants will learn about common barriers to food-based services experienced by individuals living alone with dementia, the key components of an effective food delivery service model, and program evaluation best practices for measuring the impact of services for this population.

The Senior Adult Learning Center is celebrating another term with 470+ older adults auditing over 550 courses! Fun fact: 1800 older adults have audited classes since 2021! There will be a Spring Term Orientation/Refresher event on March 3rd; find details and register here. Learn more about SALC and how to support this important initiative by visiting their website.

We'd love to hear from you! You can connect with us on LinkedIn & sign up for an account on Portland State's alumni network, PSU Works.