Community Engaged Research for Older, Minoritized Americans: Programmatic Perspectives and Recommendations to Move the Science of Inclusion Forward
Extract
As the health research community celebrates the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the health research community is at a crossroads in meeting the needs of a diverse aging population. Some of these concerns include access to health care, affordable housing, social isolation, and the management of chronic illnesses. With the COVID-19 pandemic as a recent exemplar of disproportionate effects in terms of morbidity and mortality for minoritized communities, gerontological scholars must continue to acknowledge and support the variable pathways of aging in communities throughout the United States. As research progresses, interventions should be tailored to be appropriate and relevant to a heterogeneous aging population. Continuation of actionable initiatives to promote access, trust-building, and inclusion has the promise of extending the reach of the gift of longevity to more older Americans in decades to come…