Aging Demographics, Health, and Health Services

Subjects:

• Sociology » Gerontology
• Health/Medicine » Public Health

Awards:

• Academia Academic Essentials-Public Health February 2004

Reviews:

• This book provides access to many topics relating to aging and health, making the information easily visible in charts and tables....This work is well documented with a selected bibliography, a list of useful Web sites, and a very comprehensive index. Highly recommended. All collections.
  —Choice November 2003
• For health professionals, researchers, journalists, and students.
  —SciTech Book News September 2003
• [e]nables the reader to locate relevant data and information quickly and easily. It can be used forbrowsing or for locating a specific piece of information. Hence, it also serves as a statistical handbook and a ready reference on aging and health....Aging: Demographics, Health and Health Services is recommended for collections of public health and reference in public libraries, undergraduate, and research libraries.
  —E-Streams October 2003
• From their excuses for not wearing hearing aids to the differences between Medicare and Medicaid, this guide provides considerable insight into the lives of the elderly and is highly recommended for academic and public libraries.
  —Lawrence Looks at Books December 2003
• [A]n easy-to-navigate compendium of stats about the elderly...a readable reference....If you're looking for a health-related statistic on the older population, you may want to turn to Aging Demographics, Health and Health Services.
  —American Demographics July/August 2003

• Endorsement From John Rother
  Director of Policy and Strategy, AARP: Aging is a treasure trove of new and useful information and analysis. I recommend it to social services professionals, advocates, and those who just want a deeper understanding of the changes taking place due to the aging of America.
• Endorsement From Linda Krogh Harootyan
  Deputy Director, The Gerontological Society of America: Aging is the only reference book on my desktop. It is a quick, easy to use, well organized resource that puts important data instantly at my fingertips. It is a must for anyone working in or writing about the field of aging.
• Endorsement From Gregory A. Hinrichsen, Ph.D.
  Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System
  Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine: This is the book I've been waiting for--a well-researched, well-written, interesting compendium of critical facts about aging. A valuable research reference and companion book for any course in gerontology.
• Endorsement From Leonard W. Poon, Ph.D.
  Professor of Psychology; Chair, Faculty of Gerontology; Director, University of Georgia Gerontology Center: Aging provides clear and concise pictures of changes in our aged population, health status, how well our society has been taking care of them, and much more. Vierck and Hodges summarize available but sometimes hard-to-find data, as well as new data summarized for the first time. This very readable book is an up-to-date and timely reference source for professionals, policy makers, and the general public on the aged and aging issues. I am glad to have a copy on my bookshelf.
• Endorsement From Enid Opal Cox, DSW
  Director, University of Denver Institute of Gerontology: Aging by Vierck and Hodges captures the critical aspects of health and aging. This extremely well-documented resource is an important state-of-the-art overview of the issues. Aging is an excellent required text for health and aging courses, as well as an important resource for general gerontological classes.
• Endorsement From The Hon. Martha Farnsworth Riche, Ph.D.
  Director, U.S. Census Bureau, 1994-98: Aging is a timely, comprehensive, and indispensable resource for anyone planning to serve the elderly.
• Endorsement From Gail Fudemberg
  GRF Marketing, Ltd.
  Specialist in Marketing to Seniors and the Baby Boom: The authors have done a great job of melding up-to-date statistics on the [senior] market with a captivating, readable format that reveals trends and insights on what is means to be a "senior" in this century.
• Endorsement From Ann Gillespie
  Vice-President for Excellence, American Association of Homes and Services for the Aged: I find myself using Aging often for any important fact or figure about the field of aging and health. It's a rich resource not only for the statistics, but the insight Vierck and Hodges provide.
• Endorsement From Cathy Grimm
  Director, Adult Services, Jewish Family Services, Denver: Aging is indispensable for anyone developing program plans, writing proposals, or delivering speeches on aging. Vierck and Hodge's book is user-friendly, insightful, and comprehensive.
• Endorsement From Ed Pittock, CSA
  President, Society of Certified Senior Advisors: Vierck and Hodges' book is an invaluable resource for all professionals working in the field of aging. It is full of authoritative information that is clearly written, interesting and easily accessible. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the extraordinary aging revolution.
• Endorsement From Nina Miller
  Executive Director, Hospicare and Palliative Care Services of Tompkins County, New York: Aging is a very useful resource for planning and benchmarking services for an elderly population.
• Endorsement From Steve Griffin
  Executive Director, Meals on Wheels and Senior Nutrition Program, Ithaca, New York: Aging is a valuable resource for anyone interested in planning and providing goods or services to older adults in today's society.

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• Aging in the 20th Century
• The Meaning of Aging
• Size and Growth of the Older Population
• Life Expectancy in the 20th Century
• Health Status, Use of Health Services, and Attitude towards Health Care Providers
• Health Risks and Practices
• Nutrition and American Seniors
• Chronic Conditions and Common Health Problems
• Mental Health and Dementia
• Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs
• Long-term Care (LTC): An Overview
• Long-term Care: Home Health Care
• Long-term Care: Nursing Home Care
• Care at the End of Life: Hospice Care
• Causes, Places and Timing of Death
• Paying for Health Care: Health Care Spending, Medicare, Medicaid, and Supplemental Insurance
• Appendix: World Records and Fascinating Facts
• Selected Bibliography
• Index