This volume focuses on the ethical and philosophical issues that arise in an aging society, and the implications of these issues for healthcare and social policy. After a brief overview of biomedicine's changing approach of ageing and longevity and of the new expectations that these changes generate, various ethical, social, and policy issues that surround aging and longevity are discussed. First, the images and social meanings of aging and old age in our society are explored, including their normative dimensions and implications for policy. Next, ethical issues in the care for frail elderly are discussed, as well as notion of good care and end-of-life decisions. Finally, the ethical and social implications of emerging possibilities for anti-aging and lifespan extension are considered. The book concludes with an overview of the relevance of the issues discussed for policy making on professional, national and international levels.​

This volume focuses on the ethical and philosophical issues that arise in an aging society, and the implications of these issues for healthcare and social policy. After a brief overview of biomedicine's changing approach of ageing and longevity and of the new expectations that these changes generate, various ethical, social, and policy issues that surround aging and longevity are discussed. First, the images and social meanings of aging and old age in our society are explored, including their normative dimensions and implications for policy. Next, ethical issues in the care for frail elderly are discussed, as well as notion of good care and end-of-life decisions. Finally, the ethical and social implications of emerging possibilities for anti-aging and lifespan extension are considered. The book concludes with an overview of the relevance of the issues discussed for policy making on professional, national and international levels.​

Encyclopedia of Biomedical Gerontology, Three Volume Set presents a wide range of topics, ranging from what happens in the body during aging, the reasons and mechanisms relating to those age-related changes, and their clinical, psychological and social modulators and determinants. The book covers the biological and medical aspects of gerontology within the general framework of the biological basis of assessing age, biological mechanisms of aging, age-related changes in biological systems, human age-related diseases, the biomedical practicality and impracticality of interventions, and finally, the ethics of intervention. Provides a ‘one-stop’ resource to information written by world-leading scholars in the field of biomedical gerontology Fills a critical gap of information in a field that has seen significant progress in the last 10 years

Living healthily for centuries is no longer a sci-fi prospect. It is very likely that the first person to live to 200 years in good health is already alive – scientific and technological advances of today are starting to produce medicines and treatments which tackle aging directly. The true debate is no longer about whether we can extend our lives and fight death – it is about whether we should. If advances in medicine and engineering protect you and others from aging, diseases, injuries, and accidents, allowing you to live as a healthy 25-year-old for as long as you wanted (where death could only visit you if, and when, you wished), should you say yes to this future? And what happens if enough people say yes? Will overpopulation be inevitable? Will we lose our identity as humans by relinquishing mortality? Will humanity be challenging the natural and divine order? Will we grow lazy and complacent? Will the divide between the rich and poor grow? Or is overcoming aging and disease a mandate of medicine and a moral imperative to aim for? Perhaps even our destiny as humans? In the same way push back on hunger, pestilence, and violence, should we end the cycle of suffering and death which aging brings to us all? In Should You Die? Augusto T.S. Cruz weighs in on these questions. The author methodically picks apart arguments supporting each side of the debate, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses, making the book an excellent primer for those interested in the discussion, and a helpful guide for those already involved.

In recent years the concept of ‘diversity’ has gained a leading place in academic thought, business practice and public policy worldwide. Although variously used, ‘diversity’ tends to refer to patterns of social difference in terms of certain key categories. Today the foremost categories shaping discourses and policies of diversity include race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, sexuality and age; further important notions include class, language, locality, lifestyle and legal status. The Routledge Handbook of Diversity Studies will examine a range of such concepts along with historical and contemporary cases concerning social and political dynamics surrounding them. With contributions by experts spanning Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, History and Geography, the Handbook will be a key resource for students, social scientists and professionals. It will represent a landmark volume within a field that has become, and will continue to be, one of the most significant global topics of concern throughout the twenty-first century.

Although philosophy, religion, and civic cultures used to help people prepare for aging and dying well, this is no longer the case. Today, aging is frequently seen as a problem to be solved and death as a harsh reality to be masked. In part, our cultural confusion is rooted in an inadequate conception of the human person, which is based on a notion of absolute individual autonomy that cannot but fail in the face of the dependency that comes with aging and decline at the end of life. To help correct the ethical impoverishment at the root of our contemporary social confusion, The Evening of Life provides an interdisciplinary examination of the challenges of aging and dying well. It calls for a re-envisioning of cultural concepts, practices, and virtues that embraces decline, dependency, and finitude rather than stigmatizes them. Bringing together the work of sociologists, anthropologists, philosophers, theologians, and medical practitioners, this collection of essays develops an interrelated set of conceptual tools to discuss the current challenges posed to aging and dying well, such as flourishing, temporality, narrative, and friendship. Above all, it proposes a positive understanding of thriving in old age that is rooted in our shared vulnerability as human beings. It also suggests how some of these tools and concepts can be deployed to create a medical system that better responds to our contemporary needs. The Evening of Life will interest bioethicists, medical practitioners, clinicians, and others involved in the care of the aging and dying. Contributors: Joseph E. Davis, Sharon R. Kaufman, Paul Scherz, Wilfred M. McClay, Kevin Aho, Charles Guignon, Bryan S. Turner, Janelle S. Taylor, Sarah L. Szanton, Janiece Taylor, and Justin Mutter

Aging is a natural phenomenon that is peculiar to all living things. However, accumulating findings indicate that senescence could be postponed or prevented by certain approaches. Substantial evidence has emerged supporting the possibility of radical human health and lifespan extension, in particular through pharmacological modulation of aging. A number of natural dietary ingredients and synthetic drugs have been assumed to have geroprotective potential. In the development of anti-aging therapeutics, several cell, insect, and animal models may provide useful starting points prior to human studies. This book provides an overview of current research aimed to search for life-extending medications and describes pharmacological aspects of anti-aging medicine. Readers are introduced to the fascinating historical background of geroprotection in the first chapter. In-depth information on models for investigating geroprotective drugs precedes a section covering anti-aging properties of pharmaceutical compounds, such as calorie restriction mimetics, autophagy inducers, senolytics and mitochondrial antioxidants. Finally, strategies to translate discoveries from aging research into drugs and healthcare policy perspectives on anti-ageing medicine are provided to give a complete picture of the field. A timely and carefully edited collection of chapters by leading researchers in the field, this book will be a fascinating and useful resource for pharmacologists, gerontologists and any scientifically interested person wishing to know more about the current status of research into anti-aging remedies, challenges and opportunities.