Growing Old In America

"Butler questions the value of long life for its own sake; modern medicine, he says, has ironically created 'a huge group of people for whom survival is possible but satisfaction in living elusive.' He proposes sweeping policy reforms to redefine and restructure the institutions responsible for what he calls 'the tragedy of old age in America.'" -New York Times Book Review "Crammed with facts that explode old myths." -Boston Globe "Heavily documented, highly readable . . . jammed with recommendations for constructive change in every area." -Science "I commend it for clarity and lucidity, unpretentiousness and comprehensiveness . . . I think it is a classic." -Karl Menninger M.D.

As the first of the nation's 78 million baby boomers begin reaching age 65 in 2011, they will face a health care workforce that is too small and woefully unprepared to meet their specific health needs. Retooling for an Aging America calls for bold initiatives starting immediately to train all health care providers in the basics of geriatric care and to prepare family members and other informal caregivers, who currently receive little or no training in how to tend to their aging loved ones. The book also recommends that Medicare, Medicaid, and other health plans pay higher rates to boost recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and care aides. Educators and health professional groups can use Retooling for an Aging America to institute or increase formal education and training in geriatrics. Consumer groups can use the book to advocate for improving the care for older adults. Health care professional and occupational groups can use it to improve the quality of health care jobs.

Essays and interviews by Julie Winokur. It's estimated that by the middle of this century the senior citizen population of America will outnumber the population of young people for the first time in history. Chronicling this unprecedented OAP-boom, Aging in America looks at the changes confronting the States as old-age goes mainstream. Originating as an award-winning story in the New York Times Magazine, Kashi and Winokur's project soon took them all round America as they celebrated the diverse lives of the elderly.

Modern industrial societies are characterized by long-term declines in fertility and steady increases in life expectancy. Together, these trends result in an aging population. The United States is no exception; since 1969 the median age has risen from 29.4 to a projected 36.4 in the year 2000. This fourth edition of the standard reader on the sociology of aging has been completely revised, with 90 percent new material, to reflect new information and new issues in this rapidly developing field. Students and practicing professionals will find it a lively, accessible overview.

A history of aging in America surveys and compares actualities and attitudes in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries and suggests practical improvements on the current inadequate system of pensions, social security, medicare, and other programs.

Does a longer life mean a healthier life? The number of adults over 65 in the United States is growing, but many may not be aware that they are at greater risk from foodborne diseases and their nutritional needs change as they age. The IOM's Food Forum held a workshop October 29-30, 2009, to discuss food safety and nutrition concerns for older adults.