Was Live Fri, Oct 6, 2023
Guest Speakers
- Dr. Louise Aronson, University of California San Francisco Professor in the Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Aronson is also the author of “Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life,” which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2020.
- Cheryl Brown, Chair of the Executive Committee for the California Commission on Aging. Ms. Brown is a key architect of California’s Master Plan on Aging.
- Dr. Barry Reisberg, Professor of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health and Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Dr. Reisberg developed the Global Deterioration Scale, which identifies the 7 stages of Alzheimer’s.
Event Overview
In many cultures, an older person is regarded as a font of wisdom, someone that younger people can learn from. This too was the prevailing narrative in the US with its images of the elder statesman, grandparents as story-tellers, sharing the family lore.
But in present-day culture, ageism – discrimination against older people – prevails in our entertainment, news media, the workplace, and most critically in health care.
Experts this week will discuss age bias, California’s Master Plan on Aging, which has a section devoted to addressing ageism, and the 7 stages of Alzheimer’s. Surprisingly, people afflicted with the illness can continue to meaningfully participate in the workforce for several years during the first four or even five stages.
