Dignity and Old Age

Dignity and Old Age explores the meaning of dignity and its implications for how we look upon old age and older people. It will give you an appreciation of the multiple meanings of dignity across different sectors of society. The contributors assert that the ideal of human dignity conveys important implications for how we treat older people at the level of practice—for example, in health care or social services—and also for our policies governing work and retirement as well as entitlements and benefits. Individuals and families, as well as philanthropy and government, have a role in assuring dignity in age, and professionals in the aging service network can enhance the quality of their care. This book will give you new and important insight for taking important steps forward in framing the issues and fulfilling a commitment to assuring dignity for all those in the last stage of life.

Open up Dignity and Old Age, and you’ll find a wealth of thoughtful suggestions for how you and others can gain more respect and admiration for your relatives, neighbors, and patients who are in the latter stages of life. You’ll examine the word “dignity” as it relates to the world’s elderly population to the fullest and most challenging extent, taking into account cross-cultural, religious, and even literary influences. Throughout this provoking and thorough examination, you’ll tackle some tough questions, all of which will equip you with the theoretical and practical know-how needed to evoke change and preserve honorable relations with the elderly persons in your professional and personal relationships.

The manner in which Dignity and Old Age will help you grow in your relationships with elderly people is twofold--ideally and practically. You’ll begin with a revitalizing discussion of concepts that revolve around dignity and the elderly, and from there you’ll move into the sphere of active practice, gleaning a wide variety of ways you can enhance your affairs with the elderly in health care, social services, government, and retirement entitlements and benefits. Specifically, you’ll find positive approaches in these and other areas:

• the dignity in old age
• the true meaning of “Quality of Life” in old age
• achieving respect for ethnic elders as a health care provider
• bringing spirituality and community together in the last stage of life
• forming a philanthropic, caring partnership between government and the elderly
  
  In this insightful volume, you’ll take an important step forward in creating a more dignified quality of life for the world’s elderly--today’s and tomorrow’s. Overall, you’ll gain the variety of perspectives necessary to ensure that everyone you come in contact with in casual, legal, leisure, and professional spheres will see you care enough to be concerned with the ideas and practices contained in Dignity and Old Age.