Ageing and gerontology

This myth-busting and question-focused textbook tackles the important social and policy issues posed by ageing. A unique pedagogical approach recognises the gap between the lives of students and older people, and equips students with the conceptual, analytical and critical tools to understand what it means to grow old and live in an ageing society.

Giving voice to the lived experiences of people with dementia across the globe, this text highlights the challenges presented as dementia care shifts to a community setting. Contributors address the social aspects of environment and, using a unique 'neighbourhood-centred’ perspective, provide an innovative guide for policy and practice.

Social work should help to strengthen individuals to achieve a respectful death and families to move forward in their lives. This valuable book focuses on practice interventions, advocating open communication and skilled interpersonal practice to help dying and bereaved people, their families and carers.

This book analyses money, health, place, quality of life and identity, and highlights the gaps of treatment and outcomes between older and younger people, and between different groups of older people. It provides strong evidence of the scale of disadvantage in the UK and suggests actions that could begin to change the picture of unequal ageing.

The literature on depression in old age has tended to be dominated by the medical model with its focus on symptoms and treatment. This report breaks new ground by adopting a psycho-social approach - one that explores depression in the context of the everyday lives of older people.

Help the Aged funded this major study because of concerns that older people living in private rented housing were vulnerable to abuse and harassment by landlords. Drawing upon detailed research with older people, professionals and landlords in six different localities, the report provides the first major study of this important issue.

This report explores the current state of end-of-life care policy and practice in the UK. It focuses in particular on the experiences of older people and incorporates their views and those of carers. The issues raised in the report will feed into current debates such as those around palliative health, end-of-life care, and right-to-die legislation.

This book provides a much-needed introductory guide to the issues surrounding pension policy and offers a critique of some of the dominant ideas and assumptions. Noting the intense debate that currently surrounds the subject, the book explores a wider view of the continuing issues about pension policy.

This compact, focused guide is perfect for students and others new to the field of gerontology. Features include further reading for each chapter, a glossary of key terms, and tables that provide easy reference points.

This book critiques the popular claim that ‘more information’ equates to ‘better health’ and explores the potential challenges related to people’s changing relationships with traditional health systems as access to, and control over data shifts.

Challenging the ethics of care as a tradeable commodity, this book introduces the concept of ailment as a framework for understanding social care. Providing examples from Britain and Finland, it demonstrates how ailment shapes all societies, and by addressing the marketisation of care, the authors bring to light increasing inequalities in care.

Debunking the myth of the ageing time bomb, this timely book from the authors of Retiring with Attitude challenges our assumptions and stereotypes and demonstrates that we are capable of living better together longer in this new, older world.