Accountant I

The demographic reality today and in the foreseeable future is a graying population, both in terms of an increase in life expectancy and in the number of people over the age of 65. The retirement of the baby boomers, 77 million strong, will place a strain on Social Security and Medicare in the next decades. Only a compression of morbidity, coupled to changes in health systems management and healthcare delivery, can relieve this pressure. This will require significant research effort, in biological sciences, clinical medicine, behavioral and social sciences, as well as demography, economics, and policy planning. The research will engage basic, clinical, and translational scientists in multidisciplinary teams. The issues surrounding the expansion of the elder population transcend medicine and public health. The design and implementation of elder-friendly communities is emerging rapidly with abundant economic impact on this state and country. Furthermore, the increase in elder health that is an essential social and economic imperative will require planning for second and even third careers. The concept of 'active retirement' is taking on new meaning under current economic conditions. This in turn engages universities in forms of continuing education that have yet to be thoroughly explored, and it also has important implications for the model of the workplace. The Tulane Center for Aging encompasses both the work of the COBRE Grant Projects and the Interdisciplinary PhD in Aging Studies.