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Book New Dynamics in Old Age

Download or read book New Dynamics in Old Age written by Hans-Werner Wahl and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-05 with total page 721 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book was nurtured by the belief that the new dynamics of today's and tomorrow's aging has not yet been treated well in the gerontology literature. Several questions drove the choice of substance for the book: What kind of new dynamics of aging deserves consideration? What kinds of theories and fields are at the core of treating such a new dynamics? And what kind of empirical evidence should be considered? The master hypothesis on which the book is based maintains that the new dynamics of old age is best observed in a range of everyday aging contexts that have been undergoing major change since the second half of the 20th century. In particular, five areas of new and persistent dynamics are treated in depth: the social environment, with a focus on cohort effects in social relations and the consideration of family relations and elders as care redelivers; the home environment, with emphasis on housing and quality of life, relocation and urban aging issues; the outdoor environment, with consideration of out-of-home activity patterns, car-driving behaviour and the leisure world of aging; the technological environment, with treatments of the role of the Internet and the potential of technology for aging outcomes and; and the societal environment with a focus on global aging, the new politics of old age and older persons as market consumers. The book's main purpose is to provide the scholarly gerontology community with a comprehensive and critical discussion of these new trends related to old age. The book will be of interest for the scholarly community of gerontology in a variety of disciplines; sociology, psychology, demography, epidemiology, humanities, social policy and geriatrics; students in gerontology education and in the disciplines named above who have an interest in aging issues (graduate level); professionals in practical and applied fields related to aging such as community and urban planners, health and care providers and policymakers; people involved in senior citizens' organizations and those in industry who wish to serve older people with new products.

Book New Dynamics in Old Age

Download or read book New Dynamics in Old Age written by Hans-Werner Wahl and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2017-07-05 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book was nurtured by the belief that the new dynamics of today's and tomorrow's aging has not yet been treated well in the gerontology literature. Several questions drove the choice of substance for the book: What kind of new dynamics of aging deserves consideration? What kinds of theories and fields are at the core of treating such a new dynamics? And what kind of empirical evidence should be considered? The master hypothesis on which the book is based maintains that the new dynamics of old age is best observed in a range of everyday aging contexts that have been undergoing major change since the second half of the 20th century. In particular, five areas of new and persistent dynamics are treated in depth: the social environment, with a focus on cohort effects in social relations and the consideration of family relations and elders as care redelivers; the home environment, with emphasis on housing and quality of life, relocation and urban aging issues; the outdoor environment, with consideration of out-of-home activity patterns, car-driving behaviour and the leisure world of aging; the technological environment, with treatments of the role of the Internet and the potential of technology for aging outcomes and; and the societal environment with a focus on global aging, the new politics of old age and older persons as market consumers. The book's main purpose is to provide the scholarly gerontology community with a comprehensive and critical discussion of these new trends related to old age. The book will be of interest for the scholarly community of gerontology in a variety of disciplines; sociology, psychology, demography, epidemiology, humanities, social policy and geriatrics; students in gerontology education and in the disciplines named above who have an interest in aging issues (graduate level); professionals in practical and applied fields related to aging such as community and urban planners, health and care providers and policymakers; people involved in senior citizens' organizations and those in industry who wish to serve older people with new products.

Book The New Dynamics of Ageing Volume 1

Download or read book The New Dynamics of Ageing Volume 1 written by Alan Walker and published by Policy Press. This book was released on 2018-02-28 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The two volumes of The New Dynamics of Ageing provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary overview of the latest research on aging. Together, they report the outcomes of the New Dynamics of Ageing research projects, the most intensive investigation ever undertaken into both the influences that shape the changing nature of aging and their consequences for individuals and society. Providing crucial insights into aging and its impact--on an individual, national, and global scale--these volumes are an indispensable reference for researchers, policy makers, and students. In Volume 1, essays concentrate on three major themes: active aging, design for aging, and the relationship between aging and socioeconomic development. Each chapter provides a comprehensive topic summary and reports the findings of the New Dynamics of Ageing research projects, emphasizing the practical implications of aging and stressing how evidence-based policies, practices, and products can produce individual and societal benefits.

Book Eightysomethings

    Book Details:
  • Author : Katharine Esty
  • Publisher : Simon and Schuster
  • Release : 2019-09-10
  • ISBN : 1510743197
  • Pages : 251 pages

Download or read book Eightysomethings written by Katharine Esty and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-09-10 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: **Winner of the American Book Fest Best Book Award in "Health: Aging/50+"** This invaluable guide will help the historical number of eightysomethings live fulfilled, happy lives long into their twilight years. Personal stories illustrate how real people in their eighties are living and how they make sense of their lives. Old age is not what it used to be. For the first time ever, most people in the United States are living into their eighties. The first guide of its kind, Eightysomethings changes our understanding of old age with an upbeat and emotionally savvy view of the uncharted territory of the last stage of life. With insight and humor, Dr. Katharine Esty describes the series of dramatic and difficult transitions that eightysomethings usually experience and how, despite their losses, they so often find themselves unexpectedly happy. Living into one’s eighties doesn’t have to mean declining health and loneliness: Dr. Esty shows readers how to embrace—and thrive during—the later stages of life. Based on her more than 120 interviews around the country, Esty explores the lives of ordinary eightysomethings—their attitudes, activities, secrets, worries, purposes, and joys. Esty adds her wisdom and perspective to this multi-dimensional look at being old as a social psychologist, a practicing psychotherapist, and as an eighty-four-year-old widow living in a retirement community. Eightysomethings is a must-read for people in their eighties, and also for their families. Adult children—often bewildered by their aging parents—need a wise guide like Eightysomethings to help them navigate their parents’ last stage of life with real-world guidelines and conversation starters. Readers, young and old alike, will find this first-of-its-kind book eye-opening, comforting, and filled with practical tips.

Book Quality of Life in Old Age

Download or read book Quality of Life in Old Age written by Heidrun Mollenkopf and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-06-13 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume brings together leading researchers on quality of life in old age to focus on one of the most important issues in both gerontology and quality of life studies. There are very few texts available on this topic and none of an international and multi-disciplinary nature. For these reasons and the high quality of the authors we have assembled, this will be a seminal text for both gerontology and quality of life researchers.

Book The Many Faces of Health  Competence and Well Being in Old Age

Download or read book The Many Faces of Health Competence and Well Being in Old Age written by Hans-Werner Wahl and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-01-09 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The main aim of the book is to provide an interdisciplinary treatment of a set of key issues of current ageing research, i.e., health, competence, and well-being. These key issues are addressed based on three converging research streams: social-ecological research, which assumes that major processes and outcomes of ageing such as day-to-day competence are shaped by social and physical-spatial environments; geropsychology research, which is driven by a life-span developmental conception of ageing; and epidemiology, which offers most fundamental disease, function and prevention-related data. Each of the three major research directions are outlined by a short introduction, followed by three chapters treating in an empirical manner most recent key research questions. All chapters are then also discussed by renowned ageing experts. This volume links ageing research with policy considerations and implications and establishes a link between European research and the knowledge base of the international scientific community concerned with ageing. This book will be of great interest to scholars and graduate students in ageing research, in the social and behavioural field as well as in epidemiology, geriatrics, geropsychiatry, demography, and biogerontology.

Book Aging  Society  and the Life Course  Fourth Edition

Download or read book Aging Society and the Life Course Fourth Edition written by Leslie A. Morgan and published by Springer Publishing Company. This book was released on 2011-03-15 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Print+CourseSmart

Book The SAGE Handbook of Social Gerontology

Download or read book The SAGE Handbook of Social Gerontology written by Dale Dannefer and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2010-08-13 with total page 713 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This SAGE Handbook integrates basic research on social dimensions of aging. It presents programmatic applications of research in areas not often seen in Handbooks including imprisonment, technology and aging, urban society aged, and elderly migration. The authors constitute a Who′s Who of international gerontology, and the focus on globalization and aging is unique among Handbooks today. This Handbook should be in the library of every social gerontologist. - Vern L. Bengtson, Professor of Gerontology, University of Southern California This volume reflects the emergence of ageing as a global concern, including chapters by international scholars from Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America. It provides a comprehensive overview of key trends and issues in the field, drawing upon the full range of social science disciplines. The Handbook is organized into five parts, each exploring different aspects of research into social aspects of ageing: Disciplinary overviews: summaries of findings from key disciplinary areas within social gerontology. Social relationships and social differences: explores area like social inequality, gender, religion, inter-generational ties, social networks, and friendships. Individual characteristics and change in later life: examines different aspects of individual aging, including self and identity, cognitive processes, and bio-social interactions and their impact on physical and psychological aging. Comparative perspectives and cultural innovations: topics include ageing and development, ageing in a global context, migration, and cross-cultural perspectives on grandparenthood. Policy issues: covering policy concerns such aslong-term care, technology and older people, end of life issues, work and retirement, and the politics of old age. This will be essential reading for all students, researchers and policy-makers concerned with the major issues influencing the lives of older people across the globe.

Book The New Dynamics of Ageing Volume 2

Download or read book The New Dynamics of Ageing Volume 2 written by Alan Walker and published by Policy Press. This book was released on 2018-07-25 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume and its companion, The new dynamics of ageing volume 1, provide comprehensive multi-disciplinary overviews of the very latest research on ageing. Together they report the outcomes of the most concerted investigation ever undertaken into both the influence shaping the changing nature of ageing and its consequences for individuals and society. This book concentrates on four major themes: autonomy and independence in later life, biology and ageing, food and nutrition and representation of old age. Each chapter provides a state of the art topic summary as well as reporting the essential research findings from New Dynamics of Ageing research projects. There is a strong emphasis on the practical implications of ageing and how evidence-based policies, practices and new products can produce individual and societal benefits.

Book Identity  Old er  Age and Migrancy

    Book Details:
  • Author : Laura Machat-From
  • Publisher : Linköping University Electronic Press
  • Release : 2017-05-16
  • ISBN : 9176855155
  • Pages : 317 pages

Download or read book Identity Old er Age and Migrancy written by Laura Machat-From and published by Linköping University Electronic Press. This book was released on 2017-05-16 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ldentity research in relation to ethnicity and migration has tended to focus an younger people whilst identity research in relation to ageing and old(er) age has not focused an migrants. This inadvertent mutual neglect has led to a lack of identity research that examines the identity categories of old(er) age and migrancy together, a lacuna that this dissertation aims to redress. This dissertation departs from a social constructionist understanding of identity as situationally accomplished in the interplay between how one defines oneself (internally) and how others define one (externally). The questions raised by this perspective and addressed in this dissertation are: When (in what situations) and in relation to whom do old(er) age and migrancy (respectively) seem to become meaningful for identification? How do the identity categories of old(er) age and migrancy seem to be negotiated? The empirical material consists of in-depth interviews with 24 older migrants (13 men, 11 women) aged between 55 and 79 who have been living in Sweden for 18 to 61 years. Interviewees come from 12 different countries that vary in perceived cultural distance from Sweden. The findings suggest that identifications with old(er) age and migrancy seem to be dynamic and flexible rather than necessarily permanently meaningful, thus gaining meaning in specific situations and in relation to particular Others. External definitions furthermore do not always seem to match with internal ones. Regardless of how old(er) age and migrancy are constructed, they seem to be negotiable. This dissertation thus contributes to identity research by studying old(er) age and migrancy together and furthermore sheds light onto how the social constructionist lens allows us to see variability where stability otherwise would be presumed. ldentitetsforskning rörande etnicitet och migration har huvudsakligen fokuserat på yngre medan identitetsforskning kring äldre och åldrande inte har fokuserat på utrikesfödda. Som en konsekvens därav har identitetsforskningen inte studerat hög(re) ålder och invandrarskap tillsammans, en lucka som denna avhandling avser att fylla. Avhandlingen utgår ifrån en socialkonstruktionistisk förståelse av identitet som situationsbunden och formad genom samspelet mellan hur man definierar sig själv (internt) och hur andra definierar en (externt). Frågorna som väcks genom detta perspektiv och som avhandlingen fokuserar på är: När (i vilka situationer) och i förhållande till vem verkar hög(re) ålder respektive invandrarskap bli betydelsefulla för identifikationer? Hur verkar identitetskategorierna hög(re) ålder och invandrarskap förhandlas? Det empiriska materialet består av djupintervjuer med 24 utrikesfödda äldre (13 män, 11 kvinnor) i åldrarna mellan 55 och 79 som har bott i Sverige mellan 18 och 61 år. lntervjupersonerna kommer från 12 olika länder med olika upplevt kulturellt avstånd från Sverige. Resultaten tyder på att identifikationer med hög(re) ålder och invandrarskap är dynamiska och flexibla snarare än nödvändigtvis permanent meningsfulla, och får därmed betydelse i vissa situationer och i förhållande till särskilda andra. Externa definitioner verkar inte alltid stämma överens med interna definitioner. Oavsett hur hög(re) ålder och invandrarskap är konstruerade så framstår de som förhandlingsbara. Avhandlingen bidrar därmed till identitetsforskningen genom att studera hög(re) ålder och invandrarskap tillsammans och belyser dessutom hur det socialkonstruktionistiska perspektivet tillåter oss att se variation och föränderlighet där stabilitet annars förutsätts.

Book Environmental Gerontology

Download or read book Environmental Gerontology written by Graham D. Rowles, PhD and published by Springer Publishing Company. This book was released on 2013-02-20 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "[This book] addresses issues on both sides of the Atlantic; examines the theoretical underpinnings of environmental gerontology...; and provides useful practical applications and guiding principles....Recommended."--Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries The environments in which people live out their later lives have a strong impact on their identity and provide opportunities for nourishing social interactions. This volume translates the insights derived from contemporary research on residential environments and public spaces that enhance well-being into practical recommendations for the design of such beneficial community environments. The text is grounded in the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of current research on place attachment, environmental meaning, and community living in later life. Emphasis is placed on how to design residential spaces that facilitate the development of a sense of place or home, and investigation is made into the kinds of lifestyles such spaces foster and support. A major theme pervading the text is the juxtaposition of private and public space. The book also addresses such themes as the transformation of spaces into places of personal identification and attachment, the need for shared intergenerational spaces, and consideration of diverse populations when designing public spaces. The book also considers how emerging public policy agendas affect the development and management of environments for the elderly. Environmental Gerontology includes the contributions of scholars in anthropology, architecture, economics, education, geography, gerontology, planning, psychology, sociology, and numerous health sciences, who hail from North America, Europe, and Asia. With its strong interdisciplinary focus, this text offers innovative and judicious recommendations for the creation of community environments that are truly beneficial for older adults. Key Features: Provides an up-to-date synthesis of the latest research on the meaning of place to older people and its relationship to well-being Offers fresh insight and critical perspectives on community planning and environmental design Considers private residences, retirement communities, long-term care facilities, and public and private community spaces Includes guiding principles for environmental design and practice relevant to the documented needs of older people Synthesizes contributions from international scholars in many disciplines

Book Older People and Migration

Download or read book Older People and Migration written by Susan Lawrence and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-10-02 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With neo-liberal resource rationing, and the onus of cost shifting from the state to individuals, families, and communities, migration issues can add a further layer of complexity to the question of caring for the elderly. By presenting examples from a variety of contexts and countries, this book will stimulate readers into considering new approaches to their own local situation in an attempt to find sustainable social work responses, and in helping to build intergenerational solidarity and social capital. Contributions to the book focus on patterns of migration: older migrants, migrating families and migrant carers. Facilitating and supporting social solidarity both locally and internationally requires social workers to understand the different contexts for elderly social work both within their own country, and internationally. Central to this area of work is the promotion of values that respect differences and uphold the principles of human rights and social justice. This book highlights the need to consider migration as a driver for social change, offering the opportunity for new forms of social solidarity that can adapt and support people inter-generationally and sustainably in later life. This book was originally published as a special issue of the European Journal of Social Work.

Book The New Age of Ageing

Download or read book The New Age of Ageing written by Lodge, Caroline and published by Policy Press. This book was released on 2016-09-07 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As we age, society’s negative assumptions mean we become a burden, a problem and the excluded ‘other’. With a convincing call to embrace all that is positive about ageing comes this timely book from the authors of Retiring with Attitude. Debunking the myth of the ageing time bomb it presents a new, yet realistic, way for society to engage with older people from a myriad of perspectives, including consumerism, media, work, housing, community and 'beauty'. Brought alive by the voices of people aged 50 to 90, it proves ageing is not passive decline but a process of learning, joy, political engagement, challenges and achievement. Increased longevity has consequences for us all. By challenging our assumptions and stereotypes, this book demonstrates that we are capable of living better together longer in this new, older world.

Book Long Term Care in an Aging Society

Download or read book Long Term Care in an Aging Society written by Graham D. Rowles and published by Springer Publishing Company. This book was released on 2015-08-13 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a comprehensive graduate textbook focusing on the full spectrum of long-term care settings ranging from family and community-based care through supportive housing options to a variety of institutional long-term care alternatives. Integrating theory and practice, the book features the perspectives of diverse fields regarding current long-term care options and new directions for the future. Prominent scholars from history, environmental design, family caregiving, social service delivery, clinical care, health service delivery, public policy, finance, law, and ethics explore such themes as: Relationships among independence, dependence, and interdependence Ethical considerations woven into the provision of long-term care Decision-making in long-term care Fluidity in long-term care The lived experience of long-term care A micro-macro perspective ranging from the individual to societal institutions The book examines future directions for long-term care, considering such factors as the interface of technology and long-term care, cultural diversity, and relationships between voluntary and paid services. Each chapter includes case examples, study questions, and exercises, additional resources, and website links. An extensive glossary of terms is also provided, as well as instructor’s resources are also available. Key Features: Focuses on the full array of long-term care options Integrates theory and practice Incorporates the perspectives of diverse fields including history, environmental design, family caregiving, social services, public policy, etc. Includes numerous case examples, study questions, exercises, and additional resources Considers new approaches to long-term care, incorporating technology and considering cultural diversity and voluntary vs. paid services About the Authors: Graham D. Rowles, PhD, is Founding Director of the Graduate Center for Gerontology and Chair of the Department of Gerontology, University of Kentucky. He is also Professor of Gerontology with joint appointments in Nursing, Behavioral Science, Geography and Health Behavior. An environmental gerontologist, his research focuses on the lived experience of aging. A central theme of this work is exploration, employing qualitative methodologies of the changing relationship between older adults and their environments with advancing age, and the implications of this relationship for health, wellbeing and environmental design. He has conducted in-depth ethnographic research with elderly populations in urban (inner city), rural (Appalachian), and nursing facility environments. Recent research includes leadership of the Kentucky Elder Readiness Initiative (KERI), a statewide project to explore the implications for communities of the aging of the Baby Boom cohort. His publications include Prisoners of Space? and six co-edited volumes, in addition to more than 60 book chapters and articles. He is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education and currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Applied Gerontology and Journal of Housing for the Elderly. Dr. Rowles is Past National President of Sigma Phi Omega, Past President of the Southern Gerontological Society, Past President of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, and is currently Chair of the Commonwealth of Kentucky Institute on Aging. Pamela B. Teaster, PhD, is Associate Director for Research, Center for Gerontology, and Professor, Department of Human Development, Virginia Tech University. She established the Kentucky Justice Center for Elders and Vulnerable Adults and is the first President of the Kentucky Guardianship Association. Dr. Teaster is Secretary General of the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse. She served as Director and Chairperson of the Graduate Center for Gerontology/Department of Gerontology as well as the Director of Doctoral Studies and Associate Dean for Research for College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Teaster serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect. She is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, a recipient of the Rosalie Wolf Award for Research on Elder Abuse, the Outstanding Affiliate Member Award (Kentucky Guardianship Association), and the Distinguished Educator Award (Kentucky Association for Gerontology). She has received funding from The Retirement Research Foundation, Administration on Aging, National Institute on Aging, Kentucky Cabinet for Families and Children, National Institute of Justice, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Office of Victims of Crime. She is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed articles, reports, books, and book chapters.

Book Neoliberalising Old Age

Download or read book Neoliberalising Old Age written by John Macnicol and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015-09-29 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Governments are encouraging later-life working and state pension ages are being raised. There is also a growing debate on intergenerational equity and on ageism/age discrimination. John Macnicol, one of Europe's leading academic analysts of old age and ageing, examines the effect of neoliberalism on the recent ageing and social policy agenda in the UK and the USA. He argues that the demographic and economic impulses behind recent policy changes are in fact less important than the effect of neoliberalism as an ideology, which has caused certain key problems to be defined in a particular way. The book outlines past theories of old age and examines pensions reform, the debate on life expectancy gains, the causes of retirement, the idea of intergenerational equity, the current debate on ageism/age discrimination and the likely human consequences of raising state pension ages.

Book Creating Aging Friendly Communities

Download or read book Creating Aging Friendly Communities written by Andrew Scharlach and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2015-11-16 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Creating Aging-Friendly Communities (CAFC) examines the need to redesign America's communities to respond to the realities of our rapidly aging society. The text focuses on the interface between individuals and their environments, and the ways in which communities can enhance individual and community well-being. What differentiates CAFC from other books is its breadth of focus, its comprehensive and evidence-based consideration of key concepts, its inclusion of social as well as physical infrastructure characteristics, and its intensive examination of models of community change for fostering aging-friendliness. It presents a conceptually and empirically-based model of aging-friendliness, identifies environmental modifications that could enhance individual and community well-being, outlines a typology of community change approaches, and considers the potential efficacy of those approaches. This book identifies practical implications for policies, programs, and knowledge development designed to help communities become more aging-friendly.

Book Elderhood

    Book Details:
  • Author : Louise Aronson
  • Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
  • Release : 2019-06-11
  • ISBN : 1620405482
  • Pages : 467 pages

Download or read book Elderhood written by Louise Aronson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2019-06-11 with total page 467 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction A New York Times Bestseller Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction Winner of the WSU AOS Bonner Book Award Winner of the 2022 At Home With Growing Older Impact Award As revelatory as Atul Gawande's Being Mortal, physician and award-winning author Louise Aronson's Elderhood is an essential, empathetic look at a vital but often disparaged stage of life. For more than 5,000 years, "old" has been defined as beginning between the ages of 60 and 70. That means most people alive today will spend more years in elderhood than in childhood, and many will be elders for 40 years or more. Yet at the very moment that humans are living longer than ever before, we've made old age into a disease, a condition to be dreaded, denigrated, neglected, and denied. Reminiscent of Oliver Sacks, noted Harvard-trained geriatrician Louise Aronson uses stories from her quarter century of caring for patients, and draws from history, science, literature, popular culture, and her own life to weave a vision of old age that's neither nightmare nor utopian fantasy--a vision full of joy, wonder, frustration, outrage, and hope about aging, medicine, and humanity itself. Elderhood is for anyone who is, in the author's own words, "an aging, i.e., still-breathing human being."