Adventures in Old Age

A candid look at aging, old age, and eldercare

Ira Rosofsky, PhD, is a psychologist in Connecticut who works in eldercare facilities and the author of Nasty, Brutish, and Long: Adventures in Old Age and the World of Eldercare. See full bio

June 28, 2009

The Robots Have Dawned: Meet The CareBot

In my last post, I spoke of Asimov's planet, Solaria, a society in which humans live long and are attended to by robots. But this science fiction is close to becoming reality-particularly for our elderly in need of care. Read More

May 31, 2009

Will A Quantum Leap In Longevity Make Us Paranoid?

Recently, I saw a commercial for a New York lottery game, Set for Life, in which you get paid $5,000 for each week of the rest of your life. The commercial showed a winner going through his life wearing a suit of armor. Read More

May 19, 2009

Enough Already! Suicidologist Welcomes Death

"I'm 90, I don't think I'll be 95, 94. I don't think I'll be 91.

"I've expressed disappointment at arriving alive at the ER where I sobbed with disappointment, ‘Oh damn!'

"It was the perfect time to die I believe, Enough already!" Read More

May 5, 2009

Gay Marriage? Too Traditional

As longtime resident of Connecticut, and a sometime resident of Iowa, I welcome your state to the ranks of those where civilization as we know it did not end after gay marriage.

But why stop there? Read More

April 26, 2009

Aging World Roundup

Preparing this roundup of news about aging, I searched the web and found that promising anti-aging developments include the hypoxic response, neuronal adenosine triphosphate production capacity, mitochondrial peptide Humanin, acai berries, and that old favorite, reseveratro Read More

April 12, 2009

Caregiver Stress: Would You Like Some Angst With That Sandwich Generation?

Despite 2,000,000 residents in 18,000 nursing homes, most caregiving for the frail, confused, elderly is given by family members--people who are trying to lead their own lives, pursue their own careers, and care for their own children. Read More

March 29, 2009

Suicide as Mastery and Control

"How are you doing, Mr. Podolsky?"

"If I had a gun, I'd shoot myself." Read More

March 18, 2009

The Ultimate Baseball Fan

In my travels to nursing homes I have come to know many memorable people, perhaps none more so than Sean Hanrahan, a poor Irish kid from Southie in Boston. Read More

March 16, 2009

Our Cells Replace Themselves, Why Don't They Mutate? Why Don't We Individually Evolve?

"Organisms are just a bunch of cells," says John W. Pepper (University of Arizona). Read More

March 7, 2009

A Problem for Darwin: Why Do We Age And Die Rather Than Live Forever?

What would Darwin say? It's the question I ask first when I'm looking for an answer about anything biological. Who am I to argue with Theodosius Grygorovych Dobzhansky who famously titled an essay, "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution." Read More

Books by Ira Rosofsky, Ph.D.

Nasty, Brutish, and Long: Adventures in Old Age and the World of Eldercare

Aging Basics

By 2030, the number of Americans age 65 and over is projected to be about 71.5 million, of which nearly 10 million will be 85 or older. The good news is that many seniors report better health, greater wealth, and higher levels of education than older people in the past.

Go to the Aging Basics page for more on Aging including:

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Books by Ira Rosofsky, Ph.D.

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