Description
Book SynopsisAmerica 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
Trade ReviewAmericans are living longer lives today than ever before. But are these quality years? How are we experiencing 'these additional years' in our 80s, 90s, and even 100s? In Meika Loe's Aging Our Way, men and women tell how they are making the best of their time, even with personal limitations. These 'ways of aging' are summed up as lessons for reflection and action. I urge you to read and share this inspiring book with others for it enriches understanding of life paths that many will follow. * Glen H. Elder, Jr., Howard W. Odum Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill *
Loe's writing is clear, jargon-free, and warm-she clearly likes and often admires her subjects. She has done an excellent job in organizing her book topically and lets her subjects speak for themselves, then distills their most important points. While there are few startling revelations, there is a great deal of wisdom. * Publisher's Weekly *
Useful for its thoroughness, examples of resiliency, and attention to this growing phenomenon. * CHOICE *
A lively, engaging, and moving read. Loe shows how the personal resources needed to cope with aging are closely tied to structural factors like race, class, gender, birth cohort, and socioeconomic status. Nearly any reader will find Aging Our Way relevant to their own life or the lives of their aging parents or relatives. * Deborah Carr, Professor of Sociology, Rutgers University *
In this delightfully written book, Meika Loe illustrates how we continue to develop and become more diverse as we age. Aging Our Way is an engagingly written introduction to this new understanding of aging and will serve its readers well. * Peter V. Rabins, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, co-author of The 36-Hour Day *
Table of ContentsPrologue: 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
