How Boston Is Poised to Become the Nation’s Leading Longevity Hub

Your retirement dreams might sparkle with well-padded 401(k)s and European escapades—but is that rosy vision ready for reality’s age-tinted glasses? Where will you live when you need an extra hand with daily care? How will you navigate doctor’s visits and grocery runs? With people living longer than ever—so-called old age now comprises roughly one-third of adult life—and an America that’s graying faster than ever, the realities of aging are demanding our attention like never before.That’s made the “L” word—a.k.a. longevity—one of the buzziest topics in the wellness world today. Defined as “what can be done to improve the quality of life for older people,” according to Joseph Coughlin, director of the MIT AgeLab, longevity encompasses not just health but also everything else people need to consider as they age, from caregiving and home logistics to retirement and transportation.

The good news for Bostonians of the older and wiser variety? Lots of innovations in the longevity space are happening right here. Coughlin cites the region’s strengths in robotics and life sciences, plus its burgeoning venture capital scene, as reasons it may soon become a “longevity hub.” There are pharma behemoths such as Moderna, of course, but also companies that focus even more specifically on the older population. That includes Boston-founded PillPack—a billion-dollar Amazon acquisition that organizes medications into presorted, personalized packets (particularly helpful for older people who may have trouble managing their prescriptions)—and Waltham’s Care.com, a leader in connecting elder-care service providers with those who need them.

It’s not just big companies—there are also plenty of local organizations eager to find ways to improve the quality of life for Massachusetts’ senior citizens. In 2017, then-Governor Charlie Baker established the Governor’s Council to Address Aging in Massachusetts, with the goal of supporting healthy aging. Shortly after, a collective of innovators formed Cambridge-based Agency, a global collective at the Cambridge Innovation Center that brings together people with an interest in longevity to explore and apply ideas for older populations.

At the MIT AgeLab, meanwhile, Coughlin and his team of social scientists, engineers, and clinicians are collaborating with John Hancock to create the first annual longevity index, designed to assess the readiness of Americans to live longer, healthier, and better lives. “Few people are prepared for how long retirement will be,” Coughlin says. “We want them to consider what their social portfolio might entail as they age, along with mobility and seeing their home as a service platform with sensors and devices that can help you age in place.” Getting to stay at home forever? Now that’s living the dream.

First published in the print edition of Boston magazine’s November 2024 issue with the headline, “Live Long and Prosper.”