Findinghappinessat80+,fromtheperspectiveofanoctogenarian.AuthorRalphMiltonwantsreaderstoknowthatoldageisnotadiseasecirclingtheworldreadytopounceonanyoneovereighty.Many--maybeevenmost--oldpeoplesaytheyarehappierandmorecontentedthantheyhaveeverbeen.Andthat’sgoodnewsbecausewearelivingmuch,muchlongerthanweusedto.Infact,seniorsareNorthAmerica’sfastestgrowingdemographic.Toquotetheauthor,“Societyhasneverhadtodealwithsuchahugebunchofoldpeople.“Toaddressthissocietalshift,WellAgedoffersacandid,usefulandentertaininginsider’stakeonlifeamongtheold-old.NottherecentlyretiredwhoareenjoyingArizonawintersandunlimitedgolf,butthoseintheirlastyears,usuallyintheeighty-toone-hundred-year-oldbracket.Thisbookisalivelyandcandidlookatwhatit’sreallyliketobeold,writtenbysomeonelivingtheexperience,andsprinkledliberallywithhumour.Topicsinclude:IdentityandindependenceChoosingwheretolivePersonalhealthneedsandprioritiesCommunitysupport,friendshipsandrecreationSpiritualityandreligionIntimacy,companionshipandsexualityLoneliness,depressionandfrailtyLeavingalegacyandend-of-lifearrangementsWhenthesubjectoftheelderlydoesgetpublicattention,asithasduringthecovid-19pandemic,thefocusisusuallyonwhatcangowrong.WellAgedexpandsthisconversationaroundaging,anditisamust-readforanyonewhoneedstoputouttheirbirthdaycakewithafireextinguisher--aswellasthosewholoveandcareforthem.
