Healthy Aging in Action: Roles, Functions, and the Wisdom of Elders

Healthy Aging in Action: Roles, Functions, and the Wisdom of Elders helps readers gain a deeper understanding of what it means to age healthfully throughout the lifespan, but especially during the later stages of life when new identities, roles, functions, and responsibilities take precedent, not only for personal satisfaction, but to bolster the family and community.

The book explores the experiences and meaning of later life, especially as they relate to maintaining a sense of productivity and life satisfaction. Opening chapters examine what it means to age healthfully and successfully and explore the puzzling evolutionary question of why elderly people even exist since they they can no longer produce children who are necessary for the continuation of our species. Students learn about the evolution of longevity, the marked difference between growing old and feeling old, and models to help us better understand the continued existence of the elderly. Additional chapters address grandparents and their roles and function in the family; grandparenting styles; challenges, myths, and misconceptions about elderly caregivers, and more. Closing chapters cover the attitudes and abilities of extraordinary grandparents and musings on the future of healthy aging.

Engaging and enlightening, Healthy Aging in Action is an ideal supplementary text for courses in psychology, family studies, gerontology, human services, counseling, human development, health professions, and related field. It is intended to augment texts on aging that cover the classic theories, review standard concepts, and cover the comprehensive life cycle.