Aging Our Way: Independent Elders, Interdependent Lives

Meika Loe

Feb 2013 · Oxford University Press, USA

About this ebook

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.

About the author

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.