Synopses & Reviews
By 2035 there will be 11.5 million Americans over the age of 85, more than double today's five million, living longer than ever before. To enable these seniors to age with dignity and security in the face of this coming Age Wave, our society must learn to value care. The process of building a culture that values and supports care will transform us all—this path will restore the American Dream, generate millions of new jobs, and breathe new life into our national ideals of independence, justice, and dignity for all.
This heartfelt new book from the director of National Domestic Workers Alliance offers bold solutions that will reshape the way this country provides and values care, and transform what it means to grow old in the United States. Ai-jen Poo breathes life into the stories of caregivers and those for whom they care. These stories reveal real people caught in the crisis of care: seniors looking to live out their golden years with dignity; middle-aged adults trying to find affordable quality care for their aging parents while they balance full-time work and care for their own children; and care workers who provide essential and personalized services in difficult settings.
The Age of Dignity sings of the profound love and deep suffering that typify the care crisis, and will be an indispensable read for the millions of American adults seeking care for their aging parents, or facing their own needs for improved access to and quality of care.
Review
"Ai-jen Poo knows how to create social change from the bottom up…showing the humanity of a long devalued kind of work. This goes beyond organizing to transforming."
—Gloria Steinem in Time
Review
Thoughtful, moving, and relatable.”
Library Journal
"Ai-jen Poos first book shines a new light on the need for a holistic approach to caregiving in America. A timely and hopeful book, The Age of Dignity holds solutions that lift all boatsstrengthening our families, the workforce that supports us, and the nation as a whole."
Maria Shriver
"Ai-jen Poo knows how to create social change from the bottom up
showing the humanity of a long devalued kind of work. This goes beyond organizing to transforming."
Gloria Steinem in Time
Publishers Weekly calls the book "a strong argument for a cultural and governmental shift toward valuing older citizens and providing them with opportunities for rich, full lives."
" An urgent and irresistible book."
Gloria Steinem
" Dont miss this book."
Van Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Rebuild the Dream
"A powerful call for a Care Revolution in America."
Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues
"Ai-jen Poo is among our most compelling social movement leaders."
Ambassador Swanee Hunt, chair of Hunt Alternatives and Eleanor Roosevelt Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government
"A bold and inspiring vision for the future."
Jim Firman, president and CEO, National Council on Aging
Synopsis
By 2035, 11.5 million Americans will be over the age of eighty-five, more than double todays 5 million, living longer than ever before. To enable all of us to age with dignity and security in the face of this coming Age Wave, our society must learn to value the care of our elders. The process of building a culture that supports care is a key component to restoring the American dream, and, as Ai-Jen Poo convincingly argues, will generate millions of new jobs and breath new life into our national ideals of independence, justice, and dignity.
This groundbreaking new book from the director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance offers bold solutions, such as long-term care insurance and cultural change to get all of us to value care, which is already at the heart of a movement transforming what it means to grow old in the United States. At the intersection of our aging population, the fraying safety net, and opportunities for women and immigrants in the workforce, The Age of Dignity maps an integrated set of solutions to address Americas new demographic and economic realities.
About the Author
Ai-jen Poo is Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) and Co-Director of the Caring Across Generations Campaign. In 2000, she co-founded Domestic Workers United, the New York organization that spearheaded the successful passage of the states historic Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in 2010. Ai-jens numerous accolades include the Ms. Foundation Woman of Vision Award, the Independent Sector American Express NGen Leadership Award, Newsweeks 150 Fearless Women list, and Times list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. She lives in New York.