Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Older Americans on the Rise  PHILADELPHIA -- In the shadow of the Liberty Bell, another kind of revolution is underway in this historic city -- a social revolution.  That was the buzz at the recent meeting of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on the Aging (NCOA), where professionals challenged the stereotype of older Americans as a crushing burden on society. "Alarmist demography," said Margaret Morganroth Gullette of Brandeis University.  "We need to open society up," said Tom Endres of NCOA, who pointed out that roughly 80 percent of the population over 65 is healthy. Yet these men and women who do not fit the frail stereotype are being ignored by institutions that serve older Americans. They are marginalized by the media, devalued in the workplace, shunned by politicians. A woman in the audience summed up the mood when she stood up and cried: "It's a movement. . . . Onward! Upward! We need slogans! We need to march!" Interested? Read the rest of the story here. 11:46:24 AM    comment []

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