About this talk
When you think of “old age” what words come to mind? Louise Aronson, Elderhood Transformer, suggests that our society casts a shadow on the late years of life, from the words we use to the attention we give to aging populations. The problem is cyclical – we find old age to be “hard and undesirable” because we think of it, talk about it, and treat it as “hard and undesirable”. Moreover, although aging populations utilize the greatest proportion of the healthcare system, they are given the least individualized treatment, research, or focus as a subgroup. Louise argues for a well-defined, nuanced focus on “elderhood,” just as we have created around childhood and adulthood. Recognizing elderhood as a significant life stage, that is often times longer than childhood, will help us improve quality of life and health outcomes for our aging population.
Louise believes that we can create an “elderhood” that we are eager to embrace rather than one that we fear and deny. Watch her 2020 TEDMED Talk “Embracing elderhood as a stage of life” now on TEDMED.com.
About Louise Aronson
See more
About Louise
Dr. Louise Aronson is a geriatrician, writer, and professor dedicated to changing how society and medicine view aging. She is best known for her New York Times bestselling book, Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, and Reimagining Life. The book challenges common assumptions about what it means to grow old and has been called a “monumental” work on the subject. Through her writing and medical practice, Louise aims to improve the care and understanding of older adults. She has received multiple honors for her work, including the American Geriatrics Society Clinician-Teacher of the Year award. She has also been recognized for her ability to combine medical expertise with a compassionate, human-centered approach, earning the Gold Professorship in Humanism in Medicine. Her influential work has been featured in major media outlets, including NPR’s Fresh Air, the TODAY show, and CBS This Morning. In addition to her medical achievements, she is a talented writer, having received several Pushcart Prize nominations and a MacDowell fellowship.
