"Ways of Aging" is an engaging collection of ten original essays on the experience of aging. Written and edited by social gerontologists, and focusing on everyday life, these essays draw from original case studies to feature diverse ways of growing and being older. Through in-depth interviews and first-person accounts, each essay gives a voice to the elderly, stressing the distinct and assorted identities that people develop as they grow older under different circumstances.

In straightforward and compelling prose, the authors feature the varied experiences of widows, African Americans, Native Americans, nursing home residents, gay and lesbian elders, and others. The essays provide vivid illustrations of both the complex differences of the aging experience and the surprising commonalities. The theme of a diverse, multifaceted aging experience links the various presentations.

Countering familiar stereotypes, "Ways of Aging" offers a unique perspective on the different pathways that may be taken through the later years.

Written by leading international experts, this book helps students and practitioners to better understand and cater for the needs of our ageing population. It examines:

• how services can be provided to meet the expectations and needs of a growing population of ageing citizens within a cost-effective, social justice and positive ageing framework
• how resources allocated to aged care can be distributed equitably to better meet the demands associated with housing, retirement, service provision and care
• how health promotion principles can contribute to a healthy older population.

Investigating current critical debates in health and social science, the book explores innovative new approaches to aged care and ageing. By using international examples and a multidisciplinary approach, this comprehensive textbook provides a broad understanding of ageing from a social perspective and analyzes concepts of ageism, healthy ageing and positive ageing.

Written by leading international experts, this book helps students and practitioners to better understand and cater for the needs of our ageing population. It examines:

• how services can be provided to meet the expectations and needs of a growing population of ageing citizens within a cost-effective, social justice and positive ageing framework
• how resources allocated to aged care can be distributed equitably to better meet the demands associated with housing, retirement, service provision and care
• how health promotion principles can contribute to a healthy older population.

Investigating current critical debates in health and social science, the book explores innovative new approaches to aged care and ageing. By using international examples and a multidisciplinary approach, this comprehensive textbook provides a broad understanding of ageing from a social perspective and analyzes concepts of ageism, healthy ageing and positive ageing.

This comprehensive text focuses on the social contexts of ageing, looking at the diversity of ageing and older people, and at different factors that are important to experiences of old age and ageing. It includes key chapters on:

• theoretical and methodological bases for the study of ageing
• demographic context of the 'ageing' population
• health and illness
• family and social networks
• formal and informal care and other services for older people.

Providing an invaluable introduction to the major issues involved in the study of ageing, this book is essential reading for students of sociology, gerontology, social policy, health and social care, and professionals working with older people.

The world's population is ageing. Decade by decade, people are living longer than they ever have before. For rich countries in the west, the problems are obvious - economies rely on youthful populations to provide for those who have retired. As the population ages, we face a profound economic and social crisis - how do we care for the elderly when pensions and social security systems are under threat, housing is short and fewer young people are entering the workplace? There are anxieties at the highest level in the US, that an ageing population may make the country forfeit its image of youthful dynamism, as new creative generations come of ageing in the South.Yet this is only half the story. Populations in the poorer countries of the South are also ageing. Life-expectancy has increased due to the availability of life-saving medicine. Child mortality has decreased, so people are having smaller families. India will soon have one fo the largest populations of over-sixties. The one-child policy in China will similarly lead to a severe imbalance in the age-profile of the people.Here, Jeremy Seabrook examines the real implications of the ageing phenomenon and challenges our preconcepti

This comprehensive text focuses on the social contexts of ageing, looking at the diversity of ageing and older people, and at different factors that are important to experiences of old age and ageing. It includes key chapters on:

• theoretical and methodological bases for the study of ageing
• demographic context of the 'ageing' population
• health and illness
• family and social networks
• formal and informal care and other services for older people.

Providing an invaluable introduction to the major issues involved in the study of ageing, this book is essential reading for students of sociology, gerontology, social policy, health and social care, and professionals working with older people.

This title was first published in 2003. The rapid demographic aging of populations worldwide, and most dramatically in developing countries, will result in unprecedented increases in the absolute and relative numbers of the aged in these countries. Whilst developed economies already have the basic infrastructure in place through which to support their ageing populations, developing nations frequently do not, and it should not be assumed that their best course of action is to attempt to duplicate the supportive infrastructures of developed countries. In developing nations these may be culturally inappropriate, geographically inaccessible, economically or politically unsustainable, or all of these. Effective and sustainable support services must be designed with reference to the circumstances of the client group, and it is increasingly evident that knowledge of the lives of the aged in developing countries is currently very limited. This book aims to inform the reader on the livelihoods of elders in developing countries and to stimulate a discussion of appropriate methods of supporting them in maintaining their quality of life during and beyond the coming decades of demographic change. It does so through reporting the lives and livelihoods of the aged population of Kikole (a pseudonym), a highly impoverished village in Uganda. Individual livelihoods are explored from a lifecourse perspective, with present day quality of life being shown often to be the result of earlier enforced changes in circumstances arising in economic, social or cultural marginalization, political or physical insecurity, or macro-economic change, rather than in the physical or mental changes that may accompany advancing age.

Sleeping patterns change with age, whether we are growing up, or growing old. While most people are prepared for the rapidly altering sleep patterns of growing children, the evidence suggests that many are unprepared for additional sleep changes in later life, either in themselves or in others. In this book, originally published in 1987, two research disciplines - social gerontology and sleep research - are brought together with the aim of providing a straightforward account of how sleep is changed and disrupted by the biological and social impact of ageing. Attention then focuses on the personal and clinical response to these changes. The use of sleeping drugs among elderly people is critically examined, and effective alternatives, including self-help practices and psychological therapies, are described. The influence of ageing on the recall and content of dreams is also considered. In the final chapter, the author comments on current styles of responding to sleep problems in old age and discusses the need and the scope for change. This book deals with topics of universal interest and provides valuable information for those professionally as well as personally concerned with sleep quality in later life, including health professionals (nurses, doctors, psychologists etc.) working with elderly people, gerontologists, and sleep researchers.

Originally published in 1995, within the previous decade there had been significant developments in our understanding of the learning and motivation, together with the conceptual and cognitive development, of older adults. This understanding had been enhanced by findings from longitudinal studies which were now becoming available. These findings demonstrated the gains that had been made in research. In the past, inappropriately conceived studies have led to the perpetuation of myths and stereotypes about the intellectual development of older people. Special attention is paid in this book to changing perceptions of ageing and intelligence, learning aptitude, memory and intelligence testing. The important topic of ageing and wisdom is also discussed.

The social realities of old age have undergone profound changes since the middle ages. This study shows, however, that the images, attitudes and expectations of old people have changed for less.

Shulamith Shahar shows how the status and social participation of the elderly varied according to gender, social stratum, economic resources, position, level of functioning, and personality, as well as according to regional custom.

The book offers a broad cultural history of old age in medieval western Europe. Shahar examines the images, attitudes and advocated norms used in relation to the elderly and looks at the elderly in various social strata: churchmen and nuns, rulers, small office holders and soldiers, town dwellers and peasants.

A valuable insight into life and society in the Middle Ages, this will prove an invaluable addition to history reading lists.

William E. Boyce received his B.A. degree in Mathematics from Rhodes College, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mathematics from Carnegie-Mellon University. He is a member of the American Mathematical Society, the Mathematical Association of America, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. He is currently the Edward P. Hamilton Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Science Education (Department of Mathematical Sciences) at Rensselaer. He is the author of numerous technical papers in boundary value problems and random differential equations and their applications. He is the author of several textbooks including two differential equations texts, and is the coauthor (with M.H. Holmes, J.G. Ecker, andW.L. Siegmann) of a text on using Maple to explore Calculus. He is also coauthor (with R.L. Borrelli and C.S. Coleman) of "Differential Equations Laboratory" "Workbook" (Wiley 1992), which received the EDUCOMBest Mathematics Curricular InnovationAward in 1993. Professor Boyce was a member of the NSF-sponsored CODEE (Consortium for Ordinary Differential Equations Experiments) that led to the widely-acclaimed "ODE Architect." He has also been active in curriculum innovation and reform. Among other things, he was the initiator of the "Computers in Calculus" project at Rensselaer, partially supported by the NSF. In 1991 he received theWilliam H.Wiley Distinguished FacultyAward given by Rensselaer.

SHARE is an international survey designed to answer the societal challenges that face us due to rapid population ageing. How do we Europeans age? How will we do economically, socially and healthwise? How are these domains interrelated? The authors of this multidisciplinary book have taken a further big step towards answering these questions based on the recent SHARE data in order to support policies for an inclusive society.

This second edition of the "Handbook of Communication and Aging Research" captures the ever-changing and expanding domain of aging research. Since it was first recognized that there is more to social aging than demography, gerontology has needed a communication perspective. Like the first edition, this handbook sets out to demonstrate that aging is not only an individual process but an interactive one. The study of communication can lead to an understanding of what it means to grow old. We may age physiologically and chronologically, but our social aging--how we behave as social actors toward others, and even how we align ourselves with or come to understand the signs of difference or change as we age--are phenomena achieved primarily through communication experiences.
Synthesizing the vast amount of research that has been published on communication and aging in numerous international outlets over the last three decades, the book's contributors include scholars from North America and the United Kingdom who are active researchers in the perspectives covered in their particular chapter. Many of the chapters work to deny earlier images of aging as involving normative decrement to provide a picture of aging as a process of development involving positive choices and providing new opportunities. A recuring theme in many chapters is that of the heterogeneity of the group of people who are variously categorized as older, aged, elderly, or over 65. The contributors review the literature analytically, in a way that reveals not only current theoretical and methodological approaches to communication and aging research but also sets the future agenda.
This handbook will be of great interestto scholars and researchers in gerontology, developmental psychology, and communication, and, in this updated edition, will continue to play a key role in the study of communication and aging.

This second edition of the Handbook of Communication and Aging Research captures the ever-changing and expanding domain of aging research. Since it was first recognized that there is more to social aging than demography, gerontology has needed a communication perspective. Like the first edition, this handbook sets out to demonstrate that aging is not only an individual process but an interactive one. The study of communication can lead to an understanding of what it means to grow old. We may age physiologically and chronologically, but our social aging--how we behave as social actors toward others, and even how we align ourselves with or come to understand the signs of difference or change as we age--are phenomena achieved primarily through communication experiences. Synthesizing the vast amount of research that has been published on communication and aging in numerous international outlets over the last three decades, the book's contributors include scholars from North America and the United Kingdom who are active researchers in the perspectives covered in their particular chapter. Many of the chapters work to deny earlier images of aging as involving normative decrement to provide a picture of aging as a process of development involving positive choices and providing new opportunities. A recuring theme in many chapters is that of the heterogeneity of the group of people who are variously categorized as older, aged, elderly, or over 65. The contributors review the literature analytically, in a way that reveals not only current theoretical and methodological approaches to communication and aging research but also sets the future agenda. This handbook will be of great interest to scholars and researchers in gerontology, developmental psychology, and communication, and, in this updated edition, will continue to play a key role in the study of communication and aging.

Much has been written about healthcare for older people, but the ageing process affects people of all ages. Ageing, rather than old people, has received scant attention within healthcare literature. This book addresses this paucity. It explores key perspectives of the ageing process. Ageing and old age are not necessarily synonymous. Ageing is a complex, multi--faceted concept and therefore is explored through three different perspectives: chronological, sociological and physiological. Although the majority of chapter authors are nurses, topics covered in this book extend beyond purely nursing issues.

This volume presents contributions from academics, practitioners and researchers who reflect on aging and argue that while the financial impact of aging appears to be receiving increased attention, the more personal, familial and communal consequences of aging must also be examined. This collection delves further into the topic of aging as both personal and social phenomenon. The perspectives the papers engage with range from theoretical to applied. This demonstrates how those perspectives can and must engage with each other. From the invisibility of aging persons, to the manner in which discourses of aging-well rely on normative assumptions, to the ways in which we engage with persons with dementia, to the responsibility of providing care locally and across borders, this collection endeavours to advance aging as a positive challenge that can enrich us all.

In the World Library of Psychologists series, international experts present career-long collections of what they judge to be their most interesting publications - extracts from books, key articles, research findings, practical and theoretical contributions. Professor Patrick Rabbitt has been a prominent contributor to knowledge of cognitive performance and cognitive ageing for over half a century. He has made a range of significant contributions to geronotological research, from the development of information processing theories in the 1950s and 1960s to a new understanding of decision making and the ageing process in subsequent decades. This collection of his research articles represents a review of how work in cognitive performance and cognitive ageing has developed in the past 50 years. Whilst the nature of scientific research means that some of the questions posed have since been answered, Rabbitt adds introductory sections to articles which contextualise its place in the subject area and offer a personal view on the evolution of the field. This book is important because it provides a perspective on the development of cognitive research and the ageing process through the work of an active researcher in the field. It will interest all students and researchers interested in cognitive development and gerontology.

The world is growing older and this is a historically unprecedented phenomenon. Negotiating such change, personally, socially and for governments and international organisations requires an act of cultural adaptation. Two key questions arise: What is the purpose of a long life? and How do we adapt to societies where generations are of approximately the same size? A number of pre-existing narratives can be identified; however, it is argued that contemporary policies have produced a premature answer which may eclipse the potential arising from lifecourse change. In this book Simon Biggs discusses ways of interrogating these questions and the adaptations we make to them. Four major areas, all of which have been suggested as solutions to population ageing, are critically assessed, including work as an answer, the relationship between work, ageing and health, narratives of spirit, belief and wisdom, the body and the natural, anti-ageing medicine, critical approaches to dementia, plus family and intergenerational relations. This book is particiularly useful for those trying to make sense of population ageing and negotiate solutions. It describes a number of concepts that can be used to assess what we are told about a long life and how generations can adapt together. With the cultural landscape moving away from traditional interpretations of old age, the question of adult ageing is of growing interest to a number of groups. This book is essential reading for social and health-care workers, other helping professionals, policy makers, social scientists and all who encounter the prospect of a long life.

The fifth volume in this six volume set will look at the economics of aging. It will include articles on the productivity of older workers, preparation for retirement, and adjustment to retirement.
Ours is truly the age of aging. We are on the edge of a demographic, social, economic, and health transition revolution which will globally shape life in the Twenty-First Century. Increasingly, the aging of the population is having vast social and personal impact, changing past perceptions of the life-cycle; the organization of health care systems; social security policy; economics of retirement; political elections; cultural and religious views on aging and death; intergenerational relations; the nature of family life; the structure of communities and attitudes towards death.
Aging is a multi-disciplinary problem. The effects of aging is an area of study with ever increasing importance to departments in the humanities and sciences, and it is a phenomenon studied by many disciplines hosting a range of related courses.

The second volume in this six volume set contains a balance of articles representing current theories and research across the domains of psychology, as they relate to aging. Ours is truly the age of aging. We are on the edge of a demographic, social, economic, and health transition revolution which will globally shape life in the Twenty-First Century. Increasingly, the aging of the population is having vast social and personal impact, changing past perceptions of the life-cycle; the organization of health care systems; social security policy; economics of retirement; political elections; cultural and religious views on aging and death; intergenerational relations; the nature of family life; the structure of communities and attitudes towards death.

Provide effective services to ethnic elders with culturally competent training!Therapeutic Interventions with Ethnic Elders: Health and Social Issues provides culture-specific information to health and social work professionals. You will explore distinctive qualities that are found in ten different ethnic groups to help you better serve these populations. The historical events that have shaped these elders'often-adverse reactions to mainstream providers are also included. Ideas on how to effectively approach these situations are included to improve your skills with a diverse population of clients. The information in Therapeutic Interventions with Ethnic Elders is invaluable to health care administrators who plan services and hire personnel to work with various ethnic groups. The book also functions as a training tool to increase the awareness of staff members who currently work with ethnically diverse populations. You will learn to recognize culturally driven behaviors in ethnic elders and how to make appropriate interventions. Some of the general and culture-specific issues that Therapeutic Interventions with Ethnic Elders addresses are: helping ethnic elders to feel comfortable utilizing your services appropriately modifying therapy to meet the individual's cultural background reinforcing a new sense of independence for these elders by helping them understand available services understanding cultural inhibitions in Japan that hide, deny, or ignore mental illness realizing that traditional Euro-American psychotherapy techniques cannot be readily transplanted and applied to all other cultures addressing depression, anxiety, increased illness, intergenerational conflict, and even marital conflict combined with the stress of assimilation and acculturation among Russian emigrants understanding folk beliefs and the importance of the role of the church for many elder African-Americans Therapeutic Interventions with Ethnic Elders addresses the need for practitioners, agencies, and institutions to understand and respect the different characteristics of each elderly minority population. You will examine the unique historical contexts of Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, African, Russian, Navajo, Yaqui, Mexican, Cuban, and Puerto Rican elders and explore the stress factors that come with immigrating, such as finding a peaceful place to live and being confronted by age discrimination and racism. This important book explains cultural behaviors to provide you with effective suggestions for providing optimum care to the ethnic elders in your life.

Use Frankl's insights and techniques to improve life for your aging clients or parishioners. Viktor Frankl, a holocaust survivor who experienced firsthand the horrors of Auschwitz, saw man as "a being who continuously decides what he is: a being who equally harbors the potential to descend to the level of an animal or to ascend to the life of a saint. Man is that being, who, after all, invented the gas chambers; but at the same time he is that being who entered into those same gas chambers with his head held high and with the 'Our Father'or the Jewish prayer of the dying on his lips."Dr. Frankl's insights led him to found the therapeutic system of logotherapy, which views man as a spiritual being rather than simply as a biological construct. Logotherapy has come to be called the Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy (after Freud's psychoanalysis and Adler's individual psychology). He left a rich legacy of theory and insights especially relevant to the search for meaning in later life. The tenets of logotherapy provide many clues and approaches to what an ever-increasing body of evidence suggests regarding the crisis of aging as a crisis of meaning. Frankl's insightful work increased man's understanding of the spiritual dimension of humanity and the dignity and worth of every person in the face of what he called "the tragic trial of human existence: pain, guilt, and death."Viktor Frankl's Contribution to Spirituality and Aging presents an essential overview of logotherapy and explores: the search for and the will to meaning in later life the connection between logotherapy and pastoral counseling--bringing psychology and theology together to effectively counsel the aging the role of logotherapy in the treatment of adult major depression aspects of meaning and personhood in dementia the search for meaning in long-term care settingsViktor Frankl's Contribution to Spirituality and Aging represents varying professional perspectives on the application of Frankl's logotherapy for ministry with older adults. The chapter authors represent diverse professional backgrounds in medicine, pastoral theology, the behavioral sciences, and pastoral ministry. They address issues such as death and dying, dementia and depression, and the spiritual meaning of aging, as well as Frankl's conception of the nature of humanity. Everyone interested in the connection between theology and psychology in the context of the aging will want to own this book.

This collection highlights the current efforts by scholars and researchers to understand the aging process as it relates to the health of older adults. With contributions from international scholars in communication, psychology, public health, medicine, nursing, and other areas, this volume emphasizes communication as a critical research, education, policy, and practice issue for the design, provision, and evaluation of health and social services for older adults. Organized into sections addressing communication developments in the healthcare arena, issues in provider-patient communication, and the relationships between family communication and health. The chapters cover critical topics related to successful aging, such as Alzheimer's disease, managed care and older adults, communication issues of severe dementia, and healthcare decision-making within families.
The editors have designed this volume to be accessible to a broad audience, including scholars and students of aging and communication, healthcare practitioners with older clients, and aging individuals and their families who are pursuing strategies for successful aging. The chapters represent the highest levels of current scholarship on communication, aging, and health, providing a strong foundation for future research. Each contribution also addresses the applied implications of this research, offering practical guidance to readers dealing with these issues in their own lives. As a whole, "Aging, Communication, and Health" represents a major advance toward understanding the importance and application of communication for successful aging.