The Poverty of Aging

The Poverty of Aging

Americans are proud of the fact that the nation is becoming young. Nearly half the population is now under 25 years of age and about a third under 15. While this may mean crowded colleges or teen-age unemployment, the problems of senior citizens, who are increasing in numbers, do not diminish because older people become a smaller portion of the population. In fact, in an industrial society the position of the aged tends to worsen. The long-run decline in death rates, signifying greater longevity, coupled with the inability of older persons to compete for jobs, makes the problem of the aged more visible, despite a desire on the part of the rest of us to push them out of sight and out of mind.

The final stages of human existence can...


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