Understanding Communication And Aging

The book examines key topics such as interpersonal and family relationships in old age, media portrayals of aging, cultural variations in intergenerational communication, and health communication in old age.

Understanding Communication and Aging: Developing Knowledge and Awareness explores communication in older adulthood, particularly in the areas of interpersonal, intercultural, and mass communication, and includes coverage of communication using new technology. The book synthesizes existing research, and builds a case for more positive attitudes towards aging and for the power of communication to shape such attitudes. A succinct mix of the conceptual and the practical, Understanding Communication and Aging acknowledges the importance of theory yet also emphasizes that communication and aging is inherently an applied field of study. This approach is reinforced through discussion of applied issues such as health communication and age-related prejudice and discrimination, all supported with concrete examples. Chapters include profiles of older adults and their significant achievements, literary and artistic depictions of aging, and information boxes that discuss myths about aging and keys to aging successfully. There are also numerous exercises and activities to engage readers in learning actively. Forward thinking in approach and coverage, Understanding Communication and Aging is ideal for courses in communication, gerontology, nursing, and family studies.

This book explores communication in older adulthood, particularly in the areas of interpersonal, intercultural, and mass communication, and includes coverage of communication using new technology. The book synthesizes existing research and builds a case for more positive attitudes towards aging and for the power of communication to shape such attitudes. A succinct mix of the conceptual and the practical, the authors acknowledge the importance of theory yet also emphasize that communication and aging is inherently an applied field of study. Chapters include profiles of older adults and their significant achievements, literary and artistic depictions of aging, and information boxes that discuss myths about aging and keys to aging successfully. There are also numerous exercises and activities to help engage readers. While retaining the structure of previous editions, the content of this version has been substantially updated, including the addition of the Communicative Ecology Model of Successful Aging (CEMSA) in Chapter 4. The authors provide enhanced coverage of diversity of race, culture, age, and sexual orientation as well as more diverse ways of "doing aging." There is also more focus in this edition on older adults' romantic lives, spirituality, and their use of media and technology. Forward thinking in approach and coverage, this book is ideal for courses in communication, gerontology, nursing, and family studies.

This text employs a communication perspective to examine the aging process and the ability of individuals to adapt successfully to aging. It continues the groundbreaking work of the first edition, emphasizing a life-span approach toward understanding the social interaction that occurs during later life. The edition provides a comprehensive update on the existing and emerging research within communication and aging studies and considers such topics as notions of successful aging, positive and negative stereotypes toward older adults, and health communication issues. It raises awareness of the barriers facing elderly people in conversation and the importance such conversations have in elderly people's lives. The impact of nonrelational processes, such as hearing loss, are considered as they impact relationships with others and affect the ability to age successfully. The book is organized into 14 chapters. Each chapter is written so that the reader is presented with an exhaustive review of the pertinent and recent literature from the social sciences. As in the first edition, when the literature is empirically based, the communicative ramifications are then discussed. Readers of this volume will gain greater understanding of the importance of their communicative relationships and how significant they remain across the life span. Developed for students in communication, psychology, nursing, social gerontology, sociology, and related areas, Communication and Aging provides important insights on communication to all who are affected by the aging process.

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.

This essential volume explores the vital role of communication in the aging process and how this varies for different social groups and cultural communities. It reveals how communication can empower people in the process of aging, and that how we communicate about age is critically important to – and is at the heart of – aging successfully. Giles et al. confront the uncertainty and negativity surrounding "aging" – a process with which we all have to cope – by expertly placing communication at the core of the process. They address the need to avoid negative language, discuss the lifespan as an evolving adventure, and introduce a new theory of successful aging – the communication ecology model of successful aging (CEMSA). They explore the research on key topics including: age stereotypes, age identities, and messages of ageism; the role of culture, gender, ethnicity, and being a member of marginalized groups; the ingredients of intergenerational communication; depiction of aging and youth in the media; and how and why talk about death and dying can be instrumental in promoting control over life’s demands. Communication for Successful Aging is essential reading for graduate students of psychology, human development, gerontology, and communication, scholars in the social sciences, and all of us concerned with this complex academic and highly personal topic.

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.

The second edition of Aging and Communication provides a discussion of life-span aspects of communication behavior, disorders, and interventions. Chapters are written in a reader-friendly format, highlighting clinically relevant information. In-depth discussion of the effect of aging on hearing, speech/voice, swallowing, cognition and language are provided. For each clinical area, information includes: * Effects of normal aging * Disorders that occur frequently in the elderly population * Social, psychological, and environmental factors that influence functioning * Evidence-based assessment and intervention strategies * Relevant reimbursement issues Authors from multiple disciplines contribute content that reflects the interdisciplinary challenges of understanding communication and aging. The text is organized around a framework of primary, secondary, and tertiary aging. The book challenges the reader to examine their attitudes regarding aging and provides suggestions for interaction with the elderly. It also includes discussions of end-of-life legal issues, counseling, and hospice care.