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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Robert H. Binstock, PhD, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Cleveland, OH 44106-4945, 216-368-3717, robert.binstock@case.edu

This panelist has edited all six editions of the Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences (1976, 1985, 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006). He will draw upon this longitudinal hands-on experience to delineate how changes in society, the world of public policy, and the field of gerontology have been reflected in the choices of chapter subjects and authors. When the Handbook was first published, for example, the phrase “the aging society” was not in use; today it is a hackneyed cliché. Similarly, the first edition only had one chapter (out of 25) dealing with aging and health, and that chapter barely mentioned Medicare and long-term care. The 2006 edition has eight chapters that deal substantially with gerontological health and health care in one way or another.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the learner will

• Understand changes in the breadth and focus of gerontological research over the past 30 years.
• Recognize specific research, policy and practice developments in the area of gerontological health since the mid-1970s.
• Be alerted to the research, policy, and practice challenges that will be faced in the years immediately ahead.

Keywords: Aging, Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No