Coretopic:Aging

The accelerating aging of America, the most significant demographic trend of our time, has profound implications for health institutions, families, workplaces, communities, the economy, even the very concept of a normal life trajectory.

The health care implications are enormous, as seniors consume more medical care and account for a larger share of the nation’s health care spending than any other age group.

Reporters on the aging beat will want to follow how scientific and medical advances contribute to better health and longer lives for older adults in the years ahead.

Liz SeegertLiz Seegert (@lseegert) is an independent health journalist based in New York’s Hudson Valley who writes about caregiving, dementia, access to care, nursing homes and policy in her role as AHCJ’s Health Beat Leader for Aging. Seegert helps provide context for reporting on this multidimensional issue with story posts, tip sheets, analysis, data and one-on-one interviews with aging experts.

If you have questions or suggestions for future resources on the topic, please send them to aging@healthjournalism.org.

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New Tip Sheet

Food insecurity

Food insecurity was already a serious problem for many older adults, and the pandemic has made a serious situation even worse. See it now »

New How I Did It

Multigenerational households

Millions of people in these households face a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus because they often include not only the elderly but also essential workers who can’t work from home. See it now »

New Data

Long-term caregiving

A new survey that includes younger adults looks at the challenges and costs associated with providing care. See it now »

The John A. Hartford Foundation

Aging news — from Covering Health