Robert Butler's call for life reviews has exerted a key influence on the way gerontologists have looked at reminiscence and remembering. Widely thought to be a helpful mechanism for integrating past and future, the process of life review needs better specification and evaluation based on sound research. ""The Meaning of Reminiscence and Life Review"" brings together both research and application pieces covering the range of possibilities. It examines important controversies and asks: ""Does it work?"" and ""What is the evidence?"" Given their own voice, what do old people say about looking back?

In the Country of the Old

by Jon Hendricks

Published 15 June 1980
Aging is a universal experience, and an individual one. But it is also a cultural phenomenon. Our ethnic and social background has a strong influence on how we deal with growing old. This collection draws on research from around the world to explore how cultural context shapes and defines the aging process. Studies examine differing patterns in the lives of the aged in Portugal, Polynesia, Sweden, and Israel, and among ethnic groups in the United States.

The Ties of Later Life

by Jon Hendricks

Published 15 June 1995
Helps you recognise the continuity that runs across the generations from grandparents to grandchildren. This work provides a clear perspective on the actual experiences of the lives of our family and friends.

No one wants to put an aging relative in a "home." But very few people have an understanding of the issues involved and options available for an older person who needs outside care. This important book offers a variety of new insights into ways of maximizing choice, independence, and well-being, and minimizing the emotional stunting often associated with institutionalization. Both imaginative institutional programs and such alternatives as community maintenance are examined.