The Institute of Gerontology Research Colloquia is pleased to present:

Who Cares? Redefining Support Networks for Older Adults "Aging Alone"

by
Natasha Nemmers, PhD
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Gerontology, WSU

Abstract:
Demographic shifts—including childlessness, geographic dispersion, and family dissolution—are fundamentally reshaping caregiving for older adults. Traditional assumptions equate living alone with isolation and family presence with support, yet these binaries obscure critical variations in care network structure and function. This talk will introduce the Kinship and Support Typology (KAST) framework, distinguishing between kin availability and actual support provision across four configurations. Using National Health and Aging Trends Study data, Dr. Nemmers will compare care network characteristics (i.e., size, composition, and care tasks) across living arrangements for people with dementia. She will then present findings from an ongoing dyadic mixed-methods study of people living alone with cognitive impairment (PLACI) and their care partners, revealing misalignments in future care planning and the critical role of non-traditional helpers. Dr. Nemmers will conclude by outlining future directions for research.

Bio:
Dr. Natasha Nemmers is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University. She earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Gerontology from the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Iowa State University. Drawing on her early experiences as a direct care worker, her research broadly centers on living arrangements, caregiving networks, and care transitions among older adults with cognitive impairment or dementia who reside in the community.

Join us on campus at WSU’s Freer House, one block north of the Detroit Institute of Arts, or register in advance to attend on Zoom.

ZOOM REGISTRATION:
https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/W5lT6bQUSpa1o2uHQMei3Q

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SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 3, 2026 LIFESPAN ALLIANCE RESEARCH DAY, WSU.
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