The Legacy of Longevity : Health and Health Care in Later Life

Researchers in gerontology sum up the current state of knowledge of health and ageing. Topics range from conceptual and measurement issues to social factors in health and illness, to service utilization and consumerism amongst the elderly.

Published in Cooperation with the Midwest Council for Social Research on Aging Improved standards of living coupled with advancements in medical technology have enhanced much of the populations′ opportunities for living long and productive lives. But what are the implications for living longer? Is living longer necessarily the best thing for the individual? And, what about the quality of that life? In this insightful volume, leading figures in social gerontology present state-of-the-art research on health and longevity. They discuss such consequential topics as health promotion and disease prevention, supply and demand for social and medical services, governmental and community response to needs, and effects of gender and ethnicity on health and life circumstances. In addition, they provide a sound basis for understanding the theoretical questions and empirical findings of a growing and multifaceted field. The Legacy of Longevity is an excellent resource for anyone wishing to understand the health and social implications of an aging population. Administrators and policymakers will find its practical information useful in planning and implementing programs to improve the health and social well-being of older persons. "Address[es] a variety of topics pertinent to the health care of older adults including conceptualizing and measuring health; social factors associated with becoming sick; use of health-care services; organization and financing of health-care services; and the interaction of the system with the individual. . . . Recommended for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students." --Choice "This book provides intelligent discussion of the important issues in health care and health policy for elderly people today. The authors′ expertise in setting out their arguments clearly is obvious and the outcome is an inspired presentation of what could appear to be a dull topic. It should become a key text for the specialist readers." --Journal of Advanced Nursing "Purely as a work of reference, the book is very useful. But it is more than that. . . . There is no shortage of fresh insights or of controversial positions; the authors on the whole, do not get bogged down in the minutiae of their findings or the findings of others but set them in context and discuss them with concern and enthusiasm. . . . The editor is to be congratulated on the way in which he has assembled and balanced the various contributions, successfully weathering the perils of overlap and repetition." --Ageing in Society "The Legacy of Longevity is a multiauthor collaborative effort, full of information bound to be of interest to serious students, educators, and practitioners in the fields of aging. It provides a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art research on health and longevity as these relate to social issues." --Pride Institute of Long Term Home Health Care