Understanding the process of aging in a social context. Examples would be studies to understand how to provide effective emotional support to caregivers of disabled older adults, studies to improve older adults' attention to self-care behaviors like exercise or diet, or studies to help older adults maintain their social productivity. Each of these areas of aging research is vitally important to improving the physical, emotional, and social health of older Americans. Each area requires a unique sphere of expertise and access to special resources in terms of laboratory facilities and study populations. Basic science research represents the type of research associated with biomedical laboratories and is conducted at the level of individual cells, genes, or chemical reactions.
Clinical research is conducted on individual patients with particular disease conditions.
Behavioral research is conducted on individuals but focuses less on disease and more on physical and emotional well-being and health promotion. Health services research is conducted on the health care system and the activity patients, providers, and payers within the local or national health care system. Whether the investigator is working at the level of the cell, the human body, the community, or the health care system, we have much to learn about improving the health of older Americans. Population Older adults are typically defined as people aged 65 and older. The United States population of older adults already exceeds the entire population of Canada, and our population age 80 and older is second in size only to that of China's oldest old.