This important book examines the relationship between religion and mental health throughout the life cycle, with a special emphasis on later life. It asserts that successful aging is possible regardless of physical health or environmental circumstances, and that religious beliefs and behaviors may facilitate successful aging. Aging and God thoroughly examines the effects of religion and mental health on aging and provides a centralized resource of up-to-date references of research in the field. It focuses on recent findings, theoretical issues, and implications for clinical practice and contains ideas for further research. In Aging and God, you?ll also find information on project design that can help you develop grant applications and carry out studies.Aging and God is a helpful book for both mental health and religious professionals. It helps mental health specialists better understand the spiritual needs of older adults and the impact that religion can have on facilitating mental health. It also describes how religion can be utilized in clinical practice and integrated into psychotherapeutic approaches to older patients. The book brings religious professionals current knowledge of the major psychological problems that older adults face and how religion can be used to help alleviate these problems.Full of pertinent information, Aging and God addresses theoretical aspects of human development, focusing on cognitive, moral, and religious faith development examines situations and disorders of particular concern to older persons and looks at how religion can be used as a resource?applies research findings to the problem of meeting the spiritual and mental health needs of elders with chronic or acute health problems provides an in-depth look at end-of-life issues such as physician-assisted suicideHospital and nursing home chaplains will find this book informative and encouraging, as will gerontologists, hospital administrators, and community clergy faced with increasingly older congregations. It gives mental health professionals new strategies to help improve the later years of older adults, and makes an excellent text for courses on religion, mental health, and aging. Middle-aged and older adults, as well as their families, will also find Aging and God enjoyable and inspiring as they attempt to grapple with the myriad adjustment and coping problems associated with aging.

This book studies the relationship between women, ageing and celebrity. Focusing on an array of case studies and star/celebrity images, it aims to examine the powerful, contradictory and sometimes celebratory ways in which celebrity culture offers a crucial site for the contemporary and historical construction of discourses on ageing femininities.

Presents the foundations for understanding gerontology and addresses, chapter by chapter, many different aspects of ageing. The "gerontological boom" of the 20th century has led to spectulation about what it will be like to grow old in years to come and the resulting consequences for society. In addressing the different aspects of ageing, this book contributes to the science of "gerontology". The various chapters cover the meaning of later life, cognitive loss in old age, personality changes and adjustments, abnormal ageing including dementia and depression.

This volume is the fourth in a series designed to facilitate inter-disciplinary communication between scientists concerned with the description of societal phenomena and those investigating adult development. As such, it contains a compilation of papers presented at an annual conference held at the Pennsylvania State University. These essays by sociologists and epidemiologists deal with the impact of disease and health outcomes with advancing age and are critiqued by members of related disciplines. In addition, there are overviews as well as specific discussions about the impact of cancer, depression, and cardiovascular diseases upon psychosocial functions.

Here is a unique text that examines the lives of middle-aged and old women. Women, Aging and Ageism, in response to the lack of literature that focuses on aging women, presents timely and definitive research that illustrates the implications of ageism and sexism. This landmark volume challenges powerful myths and dangerous stereotypes and identifies the damaging restrictions that society forces upon aging women. In extending feminist research to middle and old age, the chapters taken together comprise a critique of the conditions of the last third of women's lives. The authors use analytical tools and methodologies developed and modified by feminists to explore questions previously unasked. They focus on issues of deep concern to women at midlife and beyond, including the politics of reproduction, sexuality, social isolation, violence against women, equal opportunity, and the feminization of poverty.Women, Aging and Ageism is available for classroom adoption. Ideal for students and helping professionals working with middle-aged and old women and their families, this book provides models of effective interventions grounded in field research and clinical practice. For all readers concerned about middle-aged and old women and the quality of their lives, Women, Aging and Ageism is a rich resource filled with ideas and information and an affirmative new volume about the limitless possibilities of women's achievement in midlife and old age.

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This volume studies age as a basis for social organization by uniting research from the social science disciplines while implementing both cross-cultural and historical perspectives. The contributors, a distinguished interdisciplinary group of scholars, advance our understanding of age structuring by relating the changing societal level processes and individual aging experiences, and examining retirement practices, age and power in society, and cultural conceptions of age.

This volume presents a systematic examination of the impact of social structures on individual behaviors and on their development in adulthood and old age. These papers and responses attempt to improve the reciprocal relationship between changes in social macro- and micro-structures and the process of psychological development in relation to issues of human aging. Using and combining concepts and data from various fields, this research promotes a better understanding of the effects of demographic patterns and social structures on the psychological development of adults.

The status of older adults has become increasingly important in our aging society. Print and non-print media both reflect and shape society's attitude toward the aged. This bibliography documents the now extensive research on the depiction of older adults in print and non-print media. The volume includes more than 550 entries for books and articles. The entries are arranged in 21 topical chapters, and each citation is accompanied by a detailed annotation. The author and subject indexes that conclude the work enhance its value as a reference. The volume begins with an introduction that discusses the depiction of the aged in various media forms, and which considers issues such as ageism, stereotypes of the elderly, and the nature of communication. Bibliographic entries follow. The first set of chapters include entries for related bibliographies and on works that treat general topics about aging and communications. The next set of chapters contains entries on images of the older adult in different print media, including literature, newspapers, greeting cards, and magazines. A final set of chapters considers the depiction of older adults in non-print media, such as music, film, and television.

This edited volume focuses on the interplay between sleep and circadian rhythms with health, aging and longevity. Sleep is absolutely important for human health and survival, as insufficient sleep is associated with a plethora of conditions, including the poor quality of life, onset of several diseases, and premature death. The sleep-wake cycle is an evolutionary conserved neurobiological phenomenon, and is a prominent manifestation of the biological clocks localised in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Understanding bidirectional relationship between sleep and circadian rhythms is of utmost importance and urgency, especially in the context of modern lifestyle where sleep is often out of phase with the internal body clocks, social jetlag, artificial lights and so on. The 25 chapters by leading researchers and experts from 11 countries are arranged into seven sections: understanding sleep and clock interlink in health and longevity; sleep, aging and longevity; clock, aging and longevity; melatonin, sleep and clock; genetic regulation of sleep and clock; therapeutic interventions in sleep disorders and clock misalignment; and experimental models to study sleep and clocks in aging and longevity. This book is useful for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and researchers, educators, and other biomedical professionals.

Roberta Provenzano believed the study of psychology should ultimately bring more happiness to the world. A deep thinker, she focused particularly on aging. Her collected articles on the subject propose to show that the myths and stereotypes of deterioration and senility associated with old age are based on preconceived notions rather than fact. She shows that, in spite of some physical limitations, the elderly, who are now in greater proportion in our society than ever before, can participate actively and constructively in their communities.This collection, published in honor of Provenzano, addresses age-related topics with an expertise that seems more relevant as time passes. It explores myths and stereotypes imposed upon the elderly, biological aspects of aging, psychological aspects of aging, and sociological aspects of agingRelying on scientific studies, Provenzano highlights how older people come to terms with specific conditions of aging. Quoting the adage "You are as old as you feel," she infers that aging does not necessarily mean defeat and decline, but can instead be a rewarding experience of personal fulfillment and social contribution.

Here is the result of over ten years of hands-on clinical experience by two experts wha have worked with the elderly. The authors explore the contributions of the creative arts therapies, specifically movement and drama therapy, to the individual and communal welfare of residents in nursing homes. Waiting at the Gate: Creativity and Hope in the Nursing Home eloquently demonstrates how movement and drama therapy facilitate the preservation of life, of meaning, and of hope by seeking the beautiful and playful aspects of the self, and valuing humor, flexibility, and spontaneity in relationships with others. The authors show how these values challenge the "waiting to die" phenomenon of the custodial nursing home and offer lively alternatives to the resident in the new institution of the 1990s.

This book explores the diversity of methodological approaches to researching ageing, considering which methodological paradigm best captures the phenomenon. Interdisciplinary in scope, it brings together research from scholars from Austria, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Israel, Poland, UK and USA to uncover the conditions under which qualitative and quantitative approaches to research on ageing can best be reconciled and rendered complementary. Presenting international reflection on methods for studying old age from a variety of research backgrounds, Researching Ageing showcases the latest research in the field and will appeal to scholars across the social sciences, including sociology, demography, psychology, economics and geography, with interests in gerontology, ageing and later life.

Here is a major text in psychogeriatrics for all professionals in the field of aging and mental health. Leading authorities provide valuable insights into assessment and intervention techniques for use with the mentally impaired elderly. Topics include a depression scale for use in later life, family therapy, therapy in later life, and various issues concerning mental health care for the aged.

Here is the first detailed study of the economic, social, and administrative implications for the establishment of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). Leaders in the field of optional living arrangements for the elderly examine models of continuing care retirement communities throughout the United States. A wide range of sometimes conflicting views are vigorously discussed--by proponents of continuing care communities as well as by representatives from states that do not allow the existence of such institutions. Other intensely debated topics include existing and recommended financial and legal regulations of the industry; legal, financial, and ethical implications of continuing care communities; and a sociohistorical overview of the concept of continuing care.

This open access interdisciplinary book integrates the major findings and theoretical advances of a 12-year research program run by the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES research program hosted by the universities of Lausanne and Geneva, within a single comprehensive and coherent publication on vulnerability across adulthood. The book is based on the idea that vulnerability is an essential component of the life course that can inform how we use our resources, reserves and cope with stressors across the life course. It provides a unique interdisciplinary research framework based on the idea that vulnerability is a complex and dynamic process that can only be approached through a multidimensional, multilevel, and multidirectional perspective. This is an invaluable new resource for students and researchers in life course studies, and those from other disciplines willing to include life course factors in their research on vulnerability issues.

This open access book addresses the important and neglected question of older workers who are excluded from the labour market. It challenges post-capitalist discourses of active ageing with a focus on restrictive end-of-career and retirement measures. The book demonstrates how a paradigm shift is generating real processes of exclusion for important sectors of the population. By providing strong empirical evidence from different contexts, the impact of different life course trajectories on the risks and the opportunities at the end of career are demonstrated. The organisation of workplace and institutional frameworks which reinforce inequalities are also presented. As such the book is an essential reading for students, academics and policy makers who seek to understand how exclusion processes operate to the disadvantage of older workers in the labour market.

Psychodynamic Approaches to the Experience of Dementia: Perspectives from Observation, Theory and Practice demonstrates the impact of healthcare approaches that take into account not only the practical needs but also the emotional experience of the patient, their partners, families and friends, lay carers and professional staff. Currently there is no cure for dementia, but the psychosocial and therapeutic approaches described in this volume have appeared to help people, both patients and carers, feel more contained and less lonely and isolated. Psychoanalytic theory provides a disciplined way of thinking about the internal world of an individual and their relationships. Each author provides their own commentary on the personal and interpersonal effects of dementia, endeavouring to understand behaviours and emotions which may otherwise seem incomprehensible. The subject is approached from a psychodynamic perspective, considering the unconscious, previous and current experiences and relationships, including those between patients and staff. Psychodynamic Approaches to the Experience of Dementia illustrates the practical and theoretical thinking of clinicians from a wide range of disciplines who are engaged in the care of people in late life with a diagnosis of dementia. It will be essential reading for mental health and health professionals in practice and training in the field of dementia.

The meaning and value of reminiscence in the lives of elders is beautifully explored.

Focusing on contemporary ideas about how aged care is provided, this book poses the question: How can people who are aged and frail live out the final phase of their lives with dignity? In seeking answers, the author examines what it means to be 'at home' in residential care in a novel and compassionate way. In an ethnographic study of how elderly residents can be given the right care, this book provides a new route into the bodily realities of ageing. It is a vital contribution to the search for alternative approaches to aged care provision.

A comprehensive and user-friendly reference for aging One of the most daunting aspects of growing older is the torrent of advice we face about maintaining our physical health and our mental acuity. Entire books have been written on how to manage finances, how to avoid falls, how to care for aging parents. Yet, too often, the advice offered is overwhelmingly complicated or diffuse and difficult to locate precisely when it is needed most. In this comprehensive reference, authorities in their respective fields discuss topics such as the normal processes of aging, how laws affect the elderly, what forms of exercise are most beneficial at various stages of life, family issues, and more. Informative charts and graphs supplement the concise, accessible chapters, which are followed by a comprehensive listing of major national and regional organizations serving the elderly. Ideal as an upbeat, forward-looking gift or as a personal resource, The Practical Guide to Aging is a user-friendly book for young and old, a helpful guide regardless of age or circumstance.

This book focuses on the concept of subjective views of aging. This concept refers to the way individuals conceptualize and perceive the aging process. Social and cultural perceptions regarding older adults are incorporated and internalized into views people hold regarding their own aging process. The book contains three parts which present theoretical, empirical, and translational perspectives about subjective views of aging. The theoretical section expands the framework of subjective views of aging with the inclusion of additional concepts, and further integrates these concepts by accounting for their synergistic effects. The empirical section presents recent developments in the field starting at the intra-individual level as assessed by ecological momentary assessments, going through the level of interpersonal relationships, and concluding at the social and cultural levels. Finally, the translational section presents recent endeavours to develop interventions aimed at advancing favourable views of aging. This cutting-edge edited book includes chapters written by internationally renowned scholars in the field and serves as an up-to-date resource for scholars in the field as well as a textbook for students in courses like social gerontology, lifespan psychology, and life course sociology.

Loneliness in Later Life concerns the personal and social changes associated with aging, a topic that is becoming increasingly popular with both professionals and those in the Third Age themselves. The nature of loneliness is analyzed and clearly distinguished from solitary living, which need not be an unpleasant state. Through an examination of material drawn from literature and modern research, including the author's own experience, the book arrives at the happy conclusion that older people are not, in general, lonelier than when they were younger.