When you’re young, you take health for granted. The older you get, the more important it becomes. It affects where you live, what you eat, and how you spend your time. It determines whether or not you’re able to live independently.
Aging and health is a vast topic and it gets vaster by the day. Advances in medical knowledge and technology have increased our lifespan and revolutionized the experience of aging. Moreover, scientists seem on the verge of major jumps in understanding the genetic and environmental factors that shape our physical selves. The growing senior population will afford many opportunities to study the intersection of health and aging.
I’m not a medical doctor and I have no formal training in geriatrics or gerontology. My knowledge of aging comes from reading and personal experience — the experience of a relatively healthy, physically active, young old person. What I know beyond my personal experience is idiosyncratic, determined partly by my interests and partly by chance discoveries (like articles read in waiting rooms).
Aging is an ongoing educational experience. Information grows exponentially; no one person can hope to keep up with it. Within the five areas below, there are many omissions. If you have information to share, please contact me about linking to this website.
- The impact of Aging on the Body
- Aspects of Health Under Our Control
- Mental Health
- Using the Health Care System
- Preparing for the Inevitable