UBC Press Getting Wise about Getting Old book Paperback 288 pages

A grey tsunami is sweeping the land, wreaking social and financial havoc. Sound familiar? This myth about aging, along with twenty-eight others, is the focus of Getting Wise about Getting Old, which paints a far more accurate and nuanced portrait of old age. In it, experts debunk persistent stereotypes about aging on a broad array of social issues – from retirement (seniors are wealthy) to housing (most older adults live in long-term care accommodation), and violence (senior women are not victims of sexual assault) to political participation (seniors are conservative and resistant to change) – deconstructing and countering them with the latest findings. The work of two leading research groups in Quebec, the short and accessible chapters in this vitally important book contribute to a better understanding of the social challenges, as well as the advantages, of an aging society.