Current Discussion

Driving a car is a taken-for-granted activity that many of us do regularly. But what happens when the car you are driving is different in form and function than what you are familiar with?

The senior vote is now committed to Donald Trump at a level beyond that of any other age-group, and this is a topic that deserves attention from those concerned with critical gerontology.

Population ageing has been rising internationally to become the most important demographic phenomenon of the 21st century. It has also been gaining attention in recent years from, amongst others, politicians, economists, dementia ‘advocates’ and the media.

In our ever-growing digitalized society that depends increasingly on digital means for communication, being digitally illiterate constitutes a form of social exclusion.

The International Network on Critical Gerontology is always looking for new contributions from scholars and students across various disciplines. This post provides 5 tips for writing a blog post for INCG.

Our edited collection ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans* Individuals Living with Dementia’ has recently been published by Routledge. But why a book about lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans*1 (LGBT*) people and dementia? What makes their experiences of dementia different from those of anyone else?

Gerontologists study changes that occur with aging across the lifespan. Many of these areas of study and practice focus on the outside of aging: social roles, socioeconomic levels, and biological changes. However, it is equally vital to study the inside of aging and an effective way to do this is by way of a focus on biographical aging—the meaning of aging contained in our life stories.

The persistent ideas that older people with mental health issues do not represent a large enough group to merit attention, and that older people do not experience mental health concerns beyond Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are dangerous notions with tangible consequences. If these beliefs endure, mental illnesses among older people are likely to continue to go unrecognized, and therefore remain unaddressed.

The traditional lines of demarcation between service providers and service users are shifting. Professionals in managed service organizations are working to incorporate the voices of service users into their missions and the way they function, and service users, with growing access to knowledge, have taken on the semblances of professional expertise. Additionally, the human services environment has been transformed by administrative imperatives. The drive toward greater efficiency and accountability has weakened the bond between users and providers.

Aging populations challenge public libraries to continually adapt their materials, services, and programming to maximize the wellbeing of older adults and enhance their social participation and security. Libraries (and their spaces, materials, and programs) are crucial institutions in their respective communities, particularly as sites for health, care, and wellness are shifting from hospitals and long term care facilities to the home and surrounding community.