Communication and Aging Division

Members of the Communication and Aging Division are interested in communication with, by, and about older adults, and how such communication relates to healthy and successful outcomes as we age across the life span. The ways in which messages (e.g., in the media, in interpersonal communication in the family, in health organizations) describe, represent, and affect older adults and the aging process are a central focus of the division. Researchers in this area often draw on theories of life span development, communication accommodation, social identity, and intergroup behavior (to name a few) to conduct research and practice that can improve the aging process and older adults’ well-being. As such, much of this research is situated in a wide range of relational contexts, including intergenerational relationships, middle-aged and later-life adult relationships (including marital, sibling, grandparent-grandchild, and friendships), caregiver-care receiver bonds, family networks, provider-patient relationships, superior-subordinate relationships, and intercultural relationships, as well as relationships within various health care organizations (e.g., geriatric care, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living). As aging and communication are complex and multilayered, scholarship and practice in communication and aging merges with related disciplines (e.g., medicine, nursing, psychology, gerontology, health policy and administration), communication subdisciplines (e.g., family, health, organizational, cultural, etc.), and encompasses interpretive, critical, and empirical research paradigms and diverse research methods to collect cross-sectional and longitudinal data on older adults’ experiences.