By many accounts, in the next two decades a greater number of Americans will be over sixty than any other period in history. Aging in America examines the great challenges America will face in caring for aging baby boomers. The collection begins with statistical data on the major health issues for boomers, the demographics of the population, and the availability of health care in the future. How to negotiate rising medical costs and a growing population of seniors is one of the greatest challenges, the topic of the following chapter. The challenges and opportunities for families who care for aging parents is certain to be a developing issue in the future. The two following chapters examine progressive opportunities presented by an aging population. First, in the way perspectives on the senior years have evolved in the recent decade; second, on innovations in medicine that must respond to health care in the future. The final chapter compares America's response to an aging population with that of other counties in the world.

Each book in The Reference Shelf series offers extensive, unbiased exploration of a topic of importance in modern society, in a compilation of notable articles from respected publications, abstracts of 20 to 30 additional articles, and a bibliography of other sources.