There is more to retirement than just having enough money. Many older Americans dream for years about what they'll do once they retire - catch up on their reading, complete projects around the house, take up gardening, travel - only to find that six months later they have accomplished most of their goals Now what?
With people living longer or retiring earlier, the post-retirement period can extend to 25, or even 35 years. Those extra eight hours a day, every day, add up to as many as 50,000 hours of unplanned time The constant "togetherness" of spouses after retirement can put a severe strain on relationships, and often exposes conflicts that have been hidden by the demands of childrearing and work routines. Many people have their personal identity tied up with work, or in a profession, and they discover that the dismanteling of the social and business structure of a career is more difficult than expected.
It is important that people plan for this new and exciting phase of their life just as seriously as they prepared for a career. In The Adventure of Retirement, consultant and researcher Guild A. Fetridge explores those frequently overlooked behavioral, emotional, and lifestyle issues that are vital to a fulfilling retirement. He includes questionnaires and a unique checklist to help readers gauge their attitudes and progress toward retirement; important diet and exercise information; and a guide to some uncommon travel ideas, projects, learning opportunities, events, and associations that can help retirees enjoy life and leisure more. Also included are an extended bibliography and a variety of forms to assist in the retirement planning process.

Handbook of the Psychology of Aging, Ninth Edition tackles both the biological and environmental influences on behavior and the reciprocal interface between changes in the brain and behavior that span the adult lifespan. This information is very important to many features of daily life, from workplace to family, and in public policy matters. It is complex and new questions are continually raised about how behavior changes with age. Providing perspectives on the behavioral science of aging for diverse disciplines, the handbook explains how the role of behavior is organized and how it changes over the course of life. Along with parallel advances in research methodology, it explicates in great detail, patterns and sub-patterns of behavior over the lifespan, and how it affects biological, health and social interactions.

[Gek. Pb-Ausg. u.d.T. Aging and Generational Relations]

This volume represents a new name and a new focus for its predecessor, "Current Perspectives on Aging and the Life Cycle" (volumes 1-4). We begin our new series, now titled "Advances in Life Course Research," with volume 5. Its statement of purpose is "the publication of theoretical analyses, reviews, policy analyses and positions, and theory-based empirical papers on issues involving all aspects of the human life course." It adopts a broad conception of the life course, and invites and welcomes contributions from all disciplines and fields of study interested in understanding, describing, and predicting the antecedents of and consequences for the course that human lives take from birth to death, within and across time and cultures (construed in its broadest sense), regardless of methodology, theoretical orientation, or disciplinary affiliation.

Long Lives Are for the Rich is the title of a silent ominous program that affects the lives of millions of people. In all developed countries disadvantaged and, especially, poor people die much earlier than the most advantaged. During these shorter lives they suffer ten to twenty years longer from disabilities or chronic disease. This does not happen accidentally: health inequalities – including those between healthy and unhealthy life styles – are mainly caused by social inequalities that are reproduced over the life course. This crucial function of the life course has become painfully visible during its neoliberal reorganization since the early 1980s. Studies about aging over the life course, from birth to death, show the inhumane consequences as people get older. In spite of the enormous wealth that has been piled up in the US for a dwindling percentage of the population, there has been growing public indifference about the needs of those in jobs with low pay and high stress, but also about citizens from a broad middle class who can hardly afford high quality education or healthcare. However, this ominous program affects all: recent mortality rates show that all Americans, including the rich, are unhealthier and dying earlier than citizens of other developed countries. Moreover, the underlying social inequalities are tearing the population apart with nasty consequences for all citizens, including the rich. Although the public awareness of the consequences has been growing, neoliberal policies remain tempting for the economic and political elites of the developed world because of the enormous wealth that is flowing to the top. All this poses urgent questions of social justice. Unfortunately, the predominant studies of social justice along the life course help to reproduce these inequalities by neglecting them. This book analyzes the main dynamics of social inequality over the life course and proposes a theory of social justice that sketches a way forward for a country that is willing to invest in its greatest resource: the creative potential of its population.

This book, now in paperback, revisits Peter Townsend's classic study of residential care for older people in Britain conducted in the late 1950s. It provides not only a fascinating account of residential care for older people over the last 50 years but is also an important contribution to the literature on research methods.

This bibliography provides a broad yet concise overview of available resources in gerontological social work. Chapters by expert contributors include materials judged by the authors to be most valuable to those seeking a fundamental knowledge of the field. Thus the volume is not comprehensive, but instead includes those works considered the best resources to consult initially. Materials listed include books, articles, reports, journals, and audiovisual materials. Each entry is matched with a descriptive and evaluative annotation. The book begins with an essay that overviews gerontological social work and discusses the organization of the volume. The first chapter contains a listing of general works, particularly books and articles that address aging from a social work perspective. The second chapter contains entries for books and articles related to clinical practice issues. The third chapter, on educational issues, includes books, articles, curriculum modules, reports, and annotated bibliographies. The fourth, on geriatric health services in social work, has entries for books and articles. A fifth chapter, on resource information and materials, provides detailed descriptions of journals, audiovisuals, institutions, and media resource guides. Author and subject indexes conclude this important reference work.

This book brings together state-of-the-art research on successful aging in Asian populations and highlights how the factors that contribute to successful aging differ from those in the West. It examines the differences between the Asian and Western contexts in which the aging process unfolds, including cultural values, lifestyles, physical environments and family structures. In addition, it examines the question of how to add quality to longer years of life. Specifically, it looks at ways to promote health, preserve cognition, maximize functioning with social support and maintain emotional well-being despite inevitable declines and losses. Compared to other parts of the world, Asia will age more quickly as a result of the rapid socioeconomic developments leading to rising longevity and historically low fertility rates in some countries. These demographic forces in vast populations such as China are expected to make Asia the main driver of global aging in the coming decades. As a result, researchers, professionals, policymakers, as well as the commercial sector, in both East and West, are increasingly interested in gaining a deeper understanding of aging in Asia.

Age as Disease explores the foundations of gerontology as a discipline to examine the ways contemporary society constructs old age as a disease-state. Framed throughout as 'gerontological hygeine', this book examines contemporary regimes, strategies and treatment protocols deployed throughout Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The book deploys critical cultural theories such as biopolitics, somatechnics, ethics, and governmentality to examine how anti-aging technologies operate to problematise the aging body as always-already diseased, and how these come to constitute a movement of abolition, named here as 'gerontological hygiene'.

This book compares the wellbeing of older Russian adults in the EU, USA, China, Japan, and Russia. Through providing a general overview of population ageing, social, economic and IT-literacy among older Russian adults, it fills the gap in quality of life research in developing and transition societies. The topic is revealed in the context of the modern elderly's changing identity, their life plans, and intergenerational relations. The connection between ageism and sexism are identified and interpreted, thereby using comparative materials on different countries. The book discusses the issue of educating the elderly in a new direction-namely, the use of ICTs. It also presents the result of studies on pension reform discussions over social networks, which illuminate the social response to the political, social, and economic agenda. As such this book will be a valuable read to researchers specialized in aging, gender studies, quality of life studies, Russian studies, ICT adoption studies, and to those studying the social transformation of Russia, Eastern Europe, the BRICS countries, which face similar problems with aging.

This book focuses on the three most important aspects of ageing research: nutrition, physical exercise and epigenetics. The contributors discuss ways that age-related epigenetic imprints such as DNA methylation and histone acetylation are modified by these two interventions. The emphasis on epigenetics helps to illuminate the underlying mechanisms of anti-ageing interventions, as ageing and disease are predominately epigenetic phenomena. Among the highlights are chapter-length discussion of such topics as: how anti-inflammatory action of calorie restriction underlies the retardation of ageing and age-related diseases (Chapter 3); epigenetic modification of gene expression by exercise (Chapter 5); the role of functional foods and their bioactive components in bone health (Chapter 8); and an account of the first decade of a study of calorie restriction in nonhuman primates, conducted by the National Institute on Ageing.

The #1 New York Times Bestseller From the bestselling author and columnist behind The Atlantic's popular "How to Build a Life" series, a guide to transforming the life changes we fear into a source of strength. In the first half of life, ambitious strivers embrace a simple formula for success in work and life: focus single-mindedly, work tirelessly, sacrifice personally, and climb the ladder relentlessly. It works. Until it doesn't. It turns out the second half of life is governed by different rules. In middle age, many strivers begin to find success coming harder and harder, rewards less satisfying, and family relationships withering. In response, they do what strivers always do: they double down on work in an attempt to outrun decline and weakness, and deny the changes that are becoming more and more obvious. The result is often anger, fear, and disappointment at a time in life that they imagined would be full of joy, fulfillment, and pride. It doesn't have to be that way. In From Strength to Strength, happiness expert and bestselling author Arthur C. Brooks reveals a path to beating the "striver's curse." Drawing on science, classical philosophy, theology, and history, he shares counterintuitive strategies for releasing old habits and forming new life practices, showing you how to: - Kick the habits of workaholism, success addiction, and self-objectification - Meditate on death-in order to beat fear and live well - Start a spiritual adventure - Embrace weakness in a way that turns it into strength. Change in your life is inevitable, but suffering is not. From Strength to Strength shows you how to accept the gifts of the second half of life with grace, joy, and ever deepening purpose.

Die Soziologie wissenschaftlichen Ruhms ist weitgehend unerforscht. Ein Versuch, ihn mit behavioristischen Methoden ffir die Politikwissenschaft zu analysieren, den Somit und Tanenhaus unternahmen, ziihlt zu den Faktoren, die wissenschaftlichen Ruhm bedingen: originelle Ideen, Beitriige zur Syste- matisierung, Anregung wissenschaftlicher Forschung, Publikation vielge- brauchter Lehrbficher und organisatorische Fiihigkeiten. Carl Joachim Friedrich wurde bei dieser Analyse - obwohl ihr gelegentlich ein behaviori- stisches bias nachgesagt wurde - von einem grossen Prozentsatz der inter- viewten Politikwissenschaftler sehr hiiufig zu den bedeutendsten Gelehrten seines Faches geziihlt. Einmalig war die Dauer der wissenschaftlichen Hoch- schiitzung, die er in einer Zeit einer immer kurzlebiger werdenden wissen- schaftlichen Reputation genoss. Friedrich war neben Lasswell einer der wenigen, die sowohl vor 1945 als auch nach 1945 unter den 15 bedeutendsten 1 Politikwissenschaftlern genannt wurden. Es wird schwer sein, unter den fiinf Voraussetzungen wissenschaftlicher Reputation einen einzelnen Grund ffir die Bedeutung C. J. Friedrichs herauszustellen. Neue Ideen entwickelte Friedrich - so umstritten manche (vor allem in der Totalitarismusforschung) gewesen sein mogen - besonders in der Erfor- schung des Konstitutionalismus, des Foderalismus und des Totalitarismus. Seine bekanntesten Beitriige zur Systematisierung der Forschungsergebnisse sind die Werke "Constitutional Government and Democracy" (1937 if. ) und "Man and His Government" (1963).

To understand contemporary ageing it is necessary to recognise its diversity. Drawing on an extraordinary range of theory, original research and empirical sources, this book assesses the stereotyped conceptions of ageing, and offers a critical and updated perspective. sources of identifications, migration and otherness, and the tension between social structures and personal agency; considers multidisciplinary and international perspectives as an important means of understanding the diversity of ageing, and the need for change in established notions and policies; addresses key issues such as global ageing, migration, transnational community and citizenship; incorporates theories and findings from psychology and sociology, anthropology and demography, social policy and health sciences. fields of sociology, social psychology, health, and welfare. It will also be of interest to all those who want to challenge stereotypes about ageing.

This book offers a unique multi-generational approach to saving Social Security. Public programs have adapted to societal aging, but fears overwhelm hopes for Social Security's future prospects. Conservatives want to privatize operations that liberals seek to expand. Younger workers are happy that Social Security protects their elders, but most do not expect benefits when needed. Achenbaum reframes conflicting perspectives and offers new models of respectful transgenerational dialogue that can mobilize pragmatic reforms. Designed for use in gerontology, social work, and public-policy courses, Safeguarding Social Security for Future Generations offers measured hope for leaving a legacy that safeguards the common good.

Despite calls since the 1970s for more research into the history of old age, there is still a relative dearth of historical studies on the elderly, especially in the pre-industrial past. This volume remedies much of that deficiency with essays exploring the lives of old men and old women, and the images of old age and aging, in early modern Europe and America. Collectively, the chapters demonstrate there was a strong association of advanced age with authority in the lived experience of older men and women. This book recognizes poverty and physical limitations were a very real threat, but challenges the tendency of existing literature on historical gerontology to associate old age with dependence and disability. Instead, what emerges from this volume is the success of older people in the past in imbuing their old age with dignity, despite the often vicious nature of old age in both popular and elite literature.

Essays are brought together on old age in early modern England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and America, enabling comparisons that cross geographical boundaries. Historians of old age, the family, demography, social history and cultural history will value this volume, as will sociologists and anthropologists interested in gerontology.

In this book, leading authors in the field discuss the habitats of tomorrow. These habitats will be connected through autonomous and assistive systems, turning habitats into health resorts. This book discusses how assistance technologies enable a smooth transition from comfortable health support to medical or nursing care. The contributions have been chosen and invited at the 9th AAL congress, Frankfurt.

Home health care is growing in importance as Americans seek alternatives to the costs and inconveniences of institutionalized care. Additional research is conducted daily in this field, and researchers need to know about the wealth of information currently available to assist them in their work. This valuable reference overviews the resources available on this topic, and also makes clear the areas needing further study. The authors have provided nearly 400 annotated entries in this bibliography, and have included books, journal articles, and government documents. The entries are grouped in topical chapters, and the descriptive annotations make clear to the reader whether a particular work merits a closer look.

The bibliography begins with an informative introduction that discusses the rapid growth and complex changes of home health care, the economics of providing care, and those areas requiring further research. The introduction offers the specialist and non-specialist alike a brief but illuminating context for the entries that follow. The topical chapters of the bibliography treat works of a general nature, caregiving and caregivers, and the legal and managerial aspects of providing home health care. The author and subject indexes add to the utility of the work and make it an indispensable and convenient tool for all those interested in this important topic.

One of the few studies of how the elderly help others through formal and informal volunteerism. While a large number of studies focus on the help older people receive from relatives and friends, this work examines the many ways in which older people are involved in giving care to others. Written by a sociologist and based on a stratified sample of hundreds of individuals, this study assesses a number of dimensions of care giving. While much of this labor goes unnoticed, it is central to the building and maintenance of family and community ties, and reveals ways in which social life is organized around aging, gender, and marriage. Patterns of formal volunteerism and informal care are studied in relation to age, sex, marital status, and other important variables that affect this essential but underplayed aspect of American community life.

This comparative resource charts the interface between the University of the Third Age (U3A) movement and active ageing, and in doing so, offers a comprehensive and thorough understanding of what U3A means in different geographical and sociocultural contexts. After first providing introductory chapters to introduce the U3A movement and active ageing in global perspective and tracing the origins of U3As in France, the book sets off charting the international development of U3As in both European and Asian-Pacific contexts. Deliberately, the book moves away from the dominant Anglo-centric US- and UK-rooted analyses of U3As to account for contexts of different political ideology, sociocultural values, geography, and degrees of urbanisation and industrialisation. Lastly, it thematises foreseeable issues, concerns, and predicaments that the global U3A movement faces while meeting the challenges and seizing the opportunities presented by active ageing. The chapters' comparative perspectives encompass: Origins and development: The Francophone model of U3As The development and characteristics of U3As in European and Asian-Pacific geographies From social welfare to educational gerontology: U3As in China, Russia, Taiwan, Malaysia and South Korea U3As in Italy, Spain and Sweden: A dynamic, flexible, and accessible learning model Late-life learning for social inclusion: U3As in Poland, Iceland, United Kingdom, and Malta The U3A movement in Australia: From statewide networking to community engagement Cross-cultural perspectives on U3As: The case of Thailand The University of the Third Age and Active Ageing boasts welcome contributions to the scholarship on the different histories, structures, and challenges posed by national U3As. Readers from a variety of backgrounds and research interests including gerontology, geriatrics, active ageing, older adult learning, comparative education and educational technology will find this a necessary and valuable resource in better understanding a globalised U3A world. "The University of the Third Age and Active Ageing: European and Asian-Pacific Perspectives contributes to the deep well of histories, experiences, structures, accomplishments and problems of national U3As. It emerges as a tapestry of extraordinary research that offers to guide the U3A movement as it soon enters its fiftieth year of existence." - Prof. Stephen Katz. Trent University

The concept of culture has gained considerable attention within the humanities and social sciences in general, and this is certainly true in the field of gerontology. The new perspectives thus gained widen the scope of gerontology. In this study, chapter authors examine the growth of gerontology as a discipline, the phenomenon of ageism as a socio-cultural concept, identity politics in which older persons are perceived as belonging to a subculture, and images of the older body in cultural perspective.

The manner in which gerontology emerged as a discipline was embedded in culturally defined views of aging that had consequences for how it was seen to vary between cultures. One consequence was a perception of ageism as a cultural construction. Since the 1980s, much of the politics of older people is a form of identity politics in which groups are mobilized to further their interests. Questions of cultural meanings ascribed to the gendered aging body is a central question for ageism, social identity, and self-image. These questions become especially relevant in confrontations with bodily decline and negotiations of intimacy in institutions for older people.

* offers a fresh approach, employing new and exciting custom methodologies in psychodrama * inspires and gives helpful tools to those who work with people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, loss, illness, self-effacement, abuse, or any issue that causes loneliness and depression * fhe focus is on old age and dementia; however, the tools and illustrations can be used by therapists, teachers, and personnel of all fields

Many older people, indeed the majority, have many years of relatively good health after the usual retirement age. Contrary to widely accepted stereotypes, evidence indicates that those who wish to use their skills and abilities for productive contributions may encounter significant barriers.

Bass, Caro, and Chen and the experts who contributed to the volume provide an original reassessment of the current options available to older people. The authors argue that polices, practices, and societal messages help determine what choices are realistically open to older individuals. The attitudes and policies of family, workplace, and government as well as those of educational and religious institutions all contribute to defining what opportunities really are available for older people. The authors show, too, that considerations of gender and ethnicity are powerful in their impact on what those in the later years of life may or may not do. Although leisure is attractive to many in their elder years, the authors stress that it is but one of the number of choices that should be available. Employment, volunteering, and other new productive roles should not be denied to those who want to continue them and who, in the process, enrich their own and society's well-being. The authors provide authoritative analysis and new perspectives on aging.