With the impending retirement of some 76 million baby boomers in a period of huge government deficits, public anxiety about the social and economic health of an aging nation is widespread. The policy debates are contentious -- from deciding who should receive limited subsidized housing and medical services to the ongoing battle over "saving" Social Security and other entitlement programs. Some policy makers and pundits forecast disaster: elderly people will be put out to pasture with inadequate health care and financial resources, and a crumbling social welfare infrastructure will implode under the strain of intergenerational conflict.

In Aging Nation, renowned experts James H. Schulz and Robert H. Binstock agree that there is considerable cause for concern but insist that a demographic tsunami is not inevitable. Drawing from the most current data, the authors provide an in-depth analysis of the nation's evolving private and public policies on retirement, faltering employer pensions, health care, workplace conditions, and entitlement programs. They consider such timely issues as poverty among older people, rejoining the workforce after retirement, Social Security and health care reform, as well as the rise of elderly people as a powerful political force.

Dispelling popular myths and misconceptions perpetrated by politicians and pundits, Schulz and Binstock consider the economic, political, and social challenges arising from the aging U.S. population, and present a balanced -- and reassuring -- assessment of the future.

"Public Health and Aging" was published to critical acclaim almost fifteen years ago. Much has changed in public health since then. Thomas R. Prohaska, Lynda A. Anderson, and Robert H. Binstock now offer a completely new and updated overview of the field in "Public Health for an Aging Society". This comprehensive survey discusses research, policy, and practice; managing and preventing diseases; promoting mental and physical health; and maintaining quality of life for an aging society. The fields of public health and aging have grown increasingly complex. Given the interdependency of issues posed by an aging society, the editors of this volume expand the traditional scope and treatments of public health and aging by adopting a social-ecological perspective that incorporates individual, family, community, societal, and environmental concerns. Chapters address the most critical public health issues facing an aging society, including Medicare and family caregiving, and introduce many new and emerging concepts, such as emergency preparedness, technology in aging, translational research, genomics, and environmental influences on health and health practices. The emergence of an aging society in the United States has far-reaching consequences for every generation. This book provides the latest information and future directions for the public health of this growing population. Students and practitioners will find "Public Health for an Aging Society" an invaluable resource both in the workplace and the classroom.

In "The Lost Art of Caring, " Leighton E. Cluff, M.D., and Robert H. Binstock, Ph.D., bring together experts to address the importance of caring, the reasons why it has eroded, and measures that can strengthen caring as provided by health professionals, families, communities, and society.

With the impending retirement of some 76 million Baby Boomers, understanding the economic, political, and social issues related to the aging population is paramount. If the doom-and-gloomers have their way, the elderly will be put out to pasture, with inadequate health care and financial resources, and a crumbling social welfare system. In Aging Nation, renowed experts in the field, James Schulz and Robert Binstock, agree that there is considerable cause for concern, but with a variety of sound policies and programs in place and smart individual choices, the elderly can prosper, and a demographic tsunami is not inevitable. Drawing from the most current data, the authors provide in-depth analysis of the nation's evolving private and public policies on retirement, faltering employer pensions, health care, workplace conditions, and entitlement programs, and consider such timely issues as poverty among the elderly, rejoining the workforce after retirement, Social Security and health care reform, and the rise of the elderly as a powerful political force. Dispelling popular myths and misconceptions that are perpetrated by politicians and pundits alike, they provide a comprehensive and balanced assessment of the issues and their impact on everyone, old and young. Deserving poor or greedy geezers? The debate rages on. In a period of huge government deficits and the impending retirement of some 76 million Baby Boomers, understanding the economic, political, and social issues related to the aging population is paramount. The policy debates have never been more contentious; they range from deciding who should receive limited subsidized housing and medical services to the ongoing battle over saving Social Security and other entitlement programs. If the doom-and-gloomers have their way, the elderly will be put out to pasture, with inadequate health care and financial resources, and a crumbling social welfare infrastructure that will implode under the strain of intergenerational conflict. This book debunks most aging crises put forth by merchants of doom and offers a new policy focus for our nation. In Aging Nation, renowned experts in the field, James Schulz and Robert Binstock, agree that there is considerable cause for concern, but with a variety of sound policies and programs in place and smart individual choices, the elderly can prosper, and a demographic tsunami is not inevitable. Drawing from the most current data, the authors provide in-depth analysis of the nation's evolving private and public policies on retirement, faltering employer pensions, health care, workplace conditions, and entitlement programs, and consider such timely issues as poverty among the elderly, rejoining the workforce after retirement, Social Security and health care reform, and the rise of the elderly as a powerful political force. Dispelling popular myths and misconceptions that are perpetrated by politicians and pundits alike, they provide a comprehensive and balanced assessment of these issues and their impact on everyone, old and young.

A wide variety of ambitions and measures to slow, stop, and reverse phenomena associated with aging have been part of human culture since early civilization. From alchemy to cell injections to dietary supplements, the list of techniques aimed at altering the processes of aging continues to expand. Charlatans, quacks, and entrpreneurs proffering anti-aging products and practices have always exploited uniformed customers and instilled doubt and apprehension toward practices intended to extend life. Recently, however, the pursuit of longevity has developed into a respectable scientific activity. Many biologists are substantially funded by the government and the private sector to conduct research that they believe will lead to effective anti-aging interventions.
While many embrace this quest for "prolongevity"--extended youth and long life--others fear its consequences. If effective anti-aging interventions were achieved, they would likely bring about profound alterations in the experiences of individual and collective life. What if aging could be decelerated to the extent that both average life expectancy and maximum life span would increase by forty percent? What if all humans could live to be centenarians, free of the chronic diseases and disabilities now commonly associated with old age? What if modern scientists could find the modern equivalent to the Fountain of Youth that Ponce de Leon sought?
This book addresses these questions by exploring the ramifications of possible anti-aging interventions on both individual and collective life. Through a series of essays, it examines the biomedical goal of prolongevity from cultural, scientific, religious, and ethical perspectives, offering a sweeping view into the future of aging.

In "The Lost Art of Caring, " Leighton E. Cluff, M.D., and Robert H. Binstock, Ph.D., bring together experts to address the importance of caring, the reasons why it has eroded, and measures that can strengthen caring as provided by health professionals, families, communities, and society.

Long-term care has emerged as an important issue in American society. The population of persons with chronic illnesses and disabilities, dependent upon supportive care, has grown rapidly and will increase sharply when Baby Boomers join the ranks of old age in the early part of the twenty-first century. Yet the financing and provision of adequate supportive care is becoming increasingly problematic for individuals, families, health care organizations, and governments.

Drawing on a distinguished group of contributors, "The Future of Long-Term Care" looks at the full range of issues likely to affect planning and policy for this important facet of the health care system. Comprehensive and multidisciplinary in scope, it examines the developments that have brought long-term care to the forefront of nationwide concern, as well as the factors that will make it more pressing in the future. The chapters discuss the history of the issues; populations needing care and the challenges of providing it; the future of settings for care; and social and policy concerns. Health policy, gerontology, and geriatrics professionals will find this a useful book for reference, programming, and planning.

Topics and contributors include: "Issues Affecting the Future of Long-Term Care" Robert H. Binstock, Leighton E. Cluff, and Otto von Mering "The Evolution of Long-Term Care" Martha Holstein and Thomas R. Cole "Forecasting the Future of Long-Term Care" Dennis Kodner "Older People Dependency, and Trends in Supportive Care" T. Franklin Williams and Helena Temkin-Greener "Trends among the Younger Persons with Disability and Chronic Disease" A. E. Benjamin "The Role of Technology in Long-Term Care" Leighton E. Cluff "Care for Persons with Complex Chronic Illness" Mathy D. Mezey "Care in the Nursing Home" Robert L. Kane "Care in the Home and Other Community Settings" James J. Callahan, Jr. "The Financing and Organization of Long-Term Care" Mark Meiners "The Politics of Enacting Long-Term Care Insurance" Robert H. Binstock "Ethical Issues in Long-Term Care" Nancy Neveloff Dubler "American Culture and Long-Term Care" Otto von Mering Forecasting the Future of Long-Term Care Dennis L. Kodner