In This Story
Li-Mei Chen, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work, and Health Services Research PhD student Linda Hayes Bennett participated in the annual Gerontological Society of America’s (GSA) Capitol Hill Advocacy Day on April 29–30, 2025. The advocacy campaign brought together researchers and professionals from across the country to promote aging-related policy priorities and champion additional funding.
“As scientists, we adapt to new ways of thinking about health and aging when funding and priorities change. I think the touching stories of how our current work serves and helps older adults in our community and state moved the legislative staff and Congress people we met with,” said Hayes Bennett.
As part of the Virginia delegation, Chen and Bennett met with legislative staff from the offices of Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Congressmen H. Warner Griffith and Don Beyer, and Congresswoman Erica Eisenman. They advocated for sustained investment in programs that support older adults, including Medicaid, the Administration for Community Living programs such as Meals on Wheels, and funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). They emphasized the economic and scientific value of NIH support—highlighting that in fiscal year 2023, NIH funding generated an estimated $92.9 billion in economic activity, with every $1 of investment returning $2.50 in economic benefits. Using data from Science Impacts, Chen and Bennett illustrated the potential impact of proposed budget cuts on research progress and job losses.
Chen shared insights from her research, which uses virtual reality to train nursing home direct care staff in relationship-centered dementia care. She noted that many direct care workers receive no formal training in dementia care, and among those who do, 54% struggle with training delivered exclusively in English. Her colleague explained the prevalence rates of dementia by constituency area, and they advocated for the need of dementia care workforce training and research in Virginia.
“It was an honor to stand alongside distinguished colleagues representing the next generation of researchers advocating for this important work,” said Hayes Bennett. “I am grateful to my mentor/advisor Gilbert Gimm for encouraging me to rejoin GSA.”
Fellow gerontology scholars from Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Georgetown University also participated in the event. GSA is the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging, with more than 6,000 members—80% of whom receive federal funding, primarily through the NIH and National Institute on Aging (NIA). Chen is a Fellow and long-standing member of GSA, and Bennett is an active member.