Center for the Study of Aging

The RAND Center for the Study of Aging conducts objective, independent, behavioral research on elderly populations worldwide.

The Center's interdisciplinary research staff aims to help improve public policy through both primary data collection and secondary data analysis. Its research agenda focuses on the interrelationships among health, economic status, socioeconomic factors, and public policy.

Learn More about the Center

News and Events

  • The Effect of Housing Wealth Losses on Spending in the Great Recession

    Sep 20, 2019

    Middle-aged and older Americans reduced household spending following losses in housing wealth during the Great Recession. These changes in spending could have exacerbated the effect of the crisis, and may shed light on the dynamics of household spending in future recession events.

  • Senior couple in a car

    How AVs Could Provide Independence for Older Drivers

    Sep 21, 2018

    Giving up driving has been linked to depression and isolation in older adults, as well as early entry into nursing home facilities. Autonomous vehicles could help improve the well-being of older adults by allowing them to maintain independence while still giving up their car keys.

  • Woman working in florist shop

    Many Americans Follow Nontraditional Paths to Retirement

    Jul 30, 2018

    Most U.S. seniors follow nonstandard retirement pathways, such as first transitioning to working part time, leaving and then reentering the workforce, or working past age 70, and cognitive ability and personality can be a predictor of retirement path.

Projects

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    What Economic and Health Effects Has the Financial Crisis Had on Older Households?

    What effect has the financial crisis had on households and health? RAND researchers seek to quantify the effects of the crisis on older U.S. households, and the adjustments made in response. With this information, they aim to determine whether downturns in economic status are associated with declines in health.

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    Is It Possible to Compare Life Satisfaction Around the World?

    To understand what influences life satisfaction in different countries, it is important to correct for cultural differences in how people answer subjective questions. The RAND Center for the Study of Aging is attempting to increase the comparability of response scales across national boundaries.

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    International Comparisons of Well-Being, Health and Retirement

    By using newly available data from more than 15 countries, researchers are analyzing how the interaction between individual behavior, social context, institutions, and policies shapes health and well-being in old age.