Author

Martha Paterson-Cohen

Martha was in the first class of gerontology students at Temple University’s Institute on Aging, 1982. From there she worked as a social worker with low-income elderly residents of south Philadelphia and later in Sacramento, California where she helped develop affordable public housing for seniors in the early 1990’s. After 15 years in public administration, retirement and caregiving for two parents who suffered from dementia, she maintains her interest in gerontology as an independent scholar interested in a critical approach to social gerontology. Martha presented a paper at the inaugural conference of the North American Network of Aging Studies (NANAS) in 2014 entitled: Seeking a Space for Aging in Society. From 2013-2016, she developed and established the Caring Neighborhoods Program with the City of Sacramento, a program created to organize neighbourhood involvement with isolated elders.