Frequently Asked Questions

The Organization

• What are the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) and the National Academy on an Aging Society (NAAS), and how are they related to The Gerontological Society of America?
  
• If I am a GSA member, does that make me an AGHE/NAAS member, or vice versa?
  
• What is a GSA fellow and how do I become one?
  
• Does GSA provide physician referrals for patients?
  
• Does GSA maintain security standards for its website?
  

Q: What are the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) and the National Academy on an Aging Society (NAAS), and how are they related to The Gerontological Society of America?
A: Both are branches of GSA that support its mission. AGHE is GSA's educational unit and NAAS is GSA's policy institute.

Q: If I am a GSA member, does that make me an AGHE/NAAS member, or vice versa?
A: No. GSA offers membership to individuals, while AGHE offers membership to institutions/organizations. NAAS does not offer memberships.

Q: What is a GSA fellow and how do I become one?
A: Fellowship is a recognition by peers in GSA for outstanding contributions to the field of gerontology and represents the highest class of membership. You need to have been a member for at least five years and a nomination from a current fellow is also required. See our fellows page for complete details.

Q: Does GSA provide physician referrals for patients?
A: GSA does not provide referrals to health care providers. However, we do have several resources for older Americans seeking medical and community support:

• The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Foundation for Health in Aging can provide a list of physicians by zip code who are AGS members and board-certified in Family Practice or Internal Medicine.
• The American Medical Association also offers a physician referral service; search under the medical specialty "geriatrics" for geriatricians and gerontologists.
• The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) provides referrals to geriatric psychiatrists; They can be reached at (301) 654-7850, ext. 100.
• The ElderCare Locator, at toll-free number (800) 677-1116, is a nationwide, directory assistance service designed to help older persons and caregivers locate local support resources for aging Americans.

Q: Does GSA maintain security standards for its website?
A: Yes. The website employs an SSL protocol to keep all user data private.