This text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 0 License without attribution as requested by the work’s original creator or licensee. Preface

USING WHAT YOU KNOW

It is about twenty years from now, and a close friend of yours is facing a difficult decision. Her mother is in failing health and might have the onset of dementia. It has become increasingly apparent that she can no longer live alone, and your friend is trying to decide whether to have her mother come live with her, to arrange for in-home care for her, or to place her into residential care. What advice do you give to your friend?

WHAT YOU CAN DO

To help reduce inequality based on aging and ageism and the problems facing older people, you may wish to do any of the following:

1. 
   Volunteer at a senior citizens’ center, residential care facility, or nursing home.
   
2. 
   Write a letter to the editor about media stereotypes about older people.
   
3. 
   Start a group on your campus to educate students about the problems facing senior citizens.