The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Ageing Issues Global and Country Narratives

I.               Introduction

1.     A discourse on contemporary ageing issues and synopsis of the narratives

Mala Kapur Shankardass 

II.             Emerging issues: Global narratives  

2.     Older women: The confluence between gender and age

Belén Martínez Perianes

3.     Resident-to-resident aggression analysed through a rights-based approach

Roxane Leboeuf and Marie Beaulieu

4.     Coping with elder abuse and neglect: Can we increase detection and identification?

Sara Alon

5.     Sustainable development and quality of life of older adults from a European perspective

Orlanda Díaz-García, David Alonso González, María Luisa Delgado Losada and Enrique Arias Fernández

6.     “Emotional frailty” in older adults

James Patience and Amer M. Burhan

7.     Cognitive frailty in older adults

Ajmal Safi, James Patience, Mervin Blair, Karen Z. H. Li and Amer M. Burhan

8.     Effective interventions in age-related disease

Michael Fossel

9.     Older people and assistive technology

Kiran Puri 

10.  From diagnosis to final hours: Navigating the end-of-life journey – Susan Capurso, certified end-of-life doula and legacy specialist

Susan Capurso

11.  Grief, the emotional impact of aging

Birgitte P. Tan

12.  Addressing aging grief

Birgitte P. Tan

13.  Hidden carers: The invisibility of a family carer

Anil Patil

14.  Geriatric substance use/abuse – global concerns

Avinash De Sousa and Pragya Lodha

III.          Contemporary regional and country narratives

A)   Africa

15.  Urban renewal initiatives and vulnerability of older persons in a Nigerian city

Ojo Melvin Agunbiade and Temitayo Oluwakemi Akinpelu

16.  Measuring the value of old age in low-income settings in Africa: Contributions of older persons, a hidden treasure

Eniola Olubukola Cadmus, Lawrence Adekunle Adebusoye and Eme Theodora Owoaje

17.  Ageing, health care, social protection and inter-generational solidarity in South Africa: Concerns and responses

Sebastiana Kalula, Evance Kalula and Chanda Chungu

18.  Household structure and health at older ages in sub-Saharan Africa

Paul K. Ayernor

19.  Interventions for incomes and livelihoods among older persons in Kenya: An analysis of milestones and gaps in social protection policies

Lucy W. Maina, L.N. Kathuri-Ogola and Samuel M. Mwangi

B)   Americas

20.  Geriatric education in the U.S. at a turning point: Moving ahead requires looking back

Alex W. Costley

21.  Older adults with serious mental illness in the United States

Eleanor Feldman Barbera and Margaret P. Norris

22.   American values and the intersection of ageism and sexism in the workplace

Paula Marie Usrey

23.   Training boomers to transition into retirement: Best practices in the offing?

24.   Ozarks rural health

Andrea Johnson

25.  The future of eldercare in America is no caregivers. Now what?

Joy Loverde

26.  Aging In Uruguay

Sandra Burgues Roca and Italo Savio

27.  Comprehensive analysis of subnational disparities in population ageing in Mexico: Overview and challenges for healthy ageing

Liliana Giraldo-Rodríguez, Rosa Estela García-Chanes and Marcela Agudelo-Botero

28.  Ageing and living conditions of older persons in Argentina: An analysis from a rights perspective

Maria Julieta Oddone

29.  Violence against older women, an emerging issue in Latin America

Gabriela Ramos Bonilla

30.  Solitude and sociability among older people in Brazil

Alda Britto da Motta

31.  LGBTIQ older adults in Brazil and the birth of South American gray pride

Carlos Eduardo Henning

C)   Asia Pacific 

32.  Gender difference in evaluating global age-friendly cities indicators in Iran

Farzaneh Bahadori, Mahsa Yarelahi, Abdolrahim Asadollahi, Mohammad-Hossein Kaveh and Nasim Pirzadeh

33.  Healthy ageing at very old ages – perspectives from women in the oldest cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health

Julie Byles, Meredith Tavener and Emily Princehorn

34.  Technology-enhanced dementia education programs in the community

Hiroshige Matsumoto, Ayumi Igarashi, Haruno Suzuki and Noriko Yamamoto-Mitani

35.  Population aging, depopulation and the workforce shortage crisis in Japan: An overview of nine reversal strategies and a paradigm for a macro-research agenda

Cullen T. Hayashida, Takeo Ogawa, Hiroo Ueda, Naomi Yamamoto, Yumi Kamoshida, Yuko Nakamura, Francis Nakamura and Gantuya Garmaa

36.  Senior learner as part of the lifelong learning policy in Singapore

Carol Ma and Thomas Kuan 

37.  The role of university to promote healthy and active ageing in Indonesia

Tri Budi W. Rahardjo, Dinni Agustin, Tri Suratmi, Atik Kridawati, Thika Marliana, Laila Ulfa, Lindawati Kusdhany and Eef Hoegervorst

38.  Emerging ageing issues in China

Du Peng and Wu Cilin

39.  Growth of education in Gerontology and use of technology to improve quality of life of older people

Gong Chen and Yang Wang

40.  Filial piety and the law: A comparative study of Indian and Chinese laws on care for parents

Deblina Dey

41.  Intergenerational support for older persons in India: A demographic perspective

Anil Chandran S. and Asha T. Chacko

42.  Law catching up with dignified death: The legal battle for "living will" or advance medical directive in India

Swapna Jha and Vipul Mudgal

43.  Rights of older people

Krishna M. Gautam and Sanju Thapa Magar

44.  Trends and emerging issues of older persons: A case of South Asian Country Nepal

Hom Nath Chalise

D)   Europe                                                                            

45.  Ireland – ‘the best small country in the world . . . to grow old with dignity and respect’?

Amanda Phelan 

46.  Intimacy and sexuality in residential aged care facilities

Els Messelis

47.  The German approach to participation by older people and how HelpAge promotes this approach worldwide by way of Older People Associations (OPAs)

48.  Old husbands caring for their wives in Malta: Enduring gender stereotypes and cultural masculinities

Roberta Sultana, Toni Calasanti and Marvin Formosa

49.  System of support of seniors in Poland – from institutional care to community-based services

Beata Ewa Bugajska

50.  Polish seniors in village areas – experiences and challenges

Jolanta Mackowicz, Ewa Śliwa and Joanna Wnęk-Gozdek

51.  Ageing issues, concerns and responses in the Netherlands

Anthony Verlaan

52.  How to feel at home in nursing homes? From scandal to a new concept in France

Jozsef Gabanyi

53.  Postmodern condition and tradition in Greece: Approaching visions about “ageing” reflected by television

Christiana Constantopoulou

54.  Spanish older adults: Political participation and active citizenship

Patricia Fernández de Castro, David Alonso González, Inmaculada Herranz Aguayo and Juan Lirio Castro

55.  The Spanish paradigm shift: From a dependency-based approach to a right based on personal autonomy?

Belén Martínez Perianes

56.  Ageing, disability, and the adoption of technology among Italian older adults

Alessia Bertolazzi and Albertina Pretto

Biography

Mala Kapur Shankardass, Ph.D., is a sociologist, gerontologist, health social scientist, academician, researcher, author, activist, and an independent consultant. As a Sociologist she retired from the University of Delhi, India in March 2021 but is still delivering lectures in her fields of specialization as an Invited Speaker/Guest at different universities and other institutions in India and abroad. She is also involved with various national and international organizations as an Expert/Resource person. She is a Founding Member and Managing Trustee of the Development, Welfare and Research Foundation (DWRF). She is Asia Representative of the International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) and Executive Board Member of Ageing Consortium Asia Pacific (ACAP). She is Editor and Author of 15 books published with renowned publishers, such Routledge and Springer and has 2 forthcoming in 2025 and 2 in 2026. She has many articles in reputed journals, books, newspapers and magazines to her credit She is the recipient of various prestigious Fellowships and professional awards. She is a Panelist on radio and TV channels. She has been actively involved with Rotary International and is Paul Harris Fellow.

“This volume is a valuable compendium of observations and conclusions, supported by regional and national research. The material in this book can form the ground for evidence-based and targeted policies on ageing and longevity.”

Dr. Alexandre Sidorenko, European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, Vienna, Austria

 

“Authors from around the globe have been brought together in this volume to discuss crucial aging issues from their perspectives and situations. A fascinating collection of narratives from all continents that informs and inspires reflection about the diversities and similarities of aging’s challenges and potentials.”

 

Jan Baars, Professor Emeritus of Humanistic Gerontology at the University for Humanistic Studies in Utrecht, the Netherlands (www.janbaars.nl)

“For anyone invested in the future of ageing, whether from an academic, policy-making, or advocacy perspective, Handbook of Contemporary Ageing Issues stands out as a crucial contribution to the field, fostering a more informed and compassionate approach to supporting our global ageing population.

The Handbook brings together global perspectives and country-specific narratives, providing a rich tapestry of knowledge that is both deeply informative and practically relevant. It offers critical insights into how ageing is perceived, managed, and supported worldwide, making it an invaluable reference for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners.

The handbook's balanced approach, blending theory with real-world applications, ensures that it serves as a guide for both understanding and addressing the complexities of ageing in our contemporary society.”

 

Jane Barratt, Global Advisor and Consultant in Ageing, Past Secretary: International Federation of Ageing (IFA)