Aging Our Way

Lessons for Living from 85 and Beyond
Erscheinungsjahr 2013
ISBN: 978-0-19-997572-3
Verlag: Oxford University Press

Buch, Englisch, 344 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 521 g

America is quickly going grey. There are more Americans alive today over the age of 80 than ever before in our history; by 2030, that number is expected to almost triple. But when we discuss how long people live, we must also consider how well they live. Aging Our Way follows the everyday lives of 30 elders (ages 85-102) living at home and mostly alone to understand how they create and maintain meaningful lives for themselves. Through extensive interviews, Meika Loe explores how elders navigate the practical challenges of living as independently as possible while staying healthy, connected, and comfortable. Aging Our Way celebrates these men and women as they really are: lively, complicated, engaging people finding creative ways to make their aging as meaningful and manageable as possible. Written with remarkable warmth and depth of understanding, Aging Our Way offers a vivid look at a group of people who too often remain invisible--those who have lived the longest - and all they have to teach us.

Zielgruppe

Sociologists, social workers, and psychologists specializing in aging and the life course; gerontologists, geriatric social workers, geriatric nurses; the oldest old themselves and their families.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Loe, Meika

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein Demographie, Demoskopie
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziale Arbeit/Sozialpädagogik Soziale Arbeit/Sozialpädagogik: Kranken-, Alten- und Behindertenhilfe
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Altersgruppen Alterssoziologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Prologue: 30-60-90: A Short Meditation on Age and Perspective
Introduction: Living at Home and Making it Work
Lesson 1: Continue to Do What You Did
Lesson 2: (Re) Design Your Living Space
Lesson 3: Live in Moderation
Lesson 4: Take Time for Self
Lesson 5: Ask for Help; Mobilize Resources
Lesson 6: Connect with Peers
Lesson 7: Resort to Tomfoolery
Lesson 8: Care for Others
Lesson 9: Reach out to Family
Lesson 10: Get Intergenerational; Redefine Family
Lesson 11: Insist on Hugs
Lesson 12: Be Adaptable
Lesson 13: Accept and Prepare for Death
Conclusion: New Perspectives on the Oldest Old
Postscript: On Doing Ninety (by Ann, research participant)
Epilogue: Updates on Study Participants
Appendix: Best Practices in Supporting Aging in Place
References
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Meika Loe is Associate Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies at Colgate University and the author of The Rise of Viagra: How the Little Blue Pill Changed Sex in America.