Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-188) and index.

How do negative stereotypes affect Americans' perception of the elderly? -- Bias against the elderly creates a negative view of aging / Thomas Day -- Ageism, like racism and sexism, should be challenged / Robert Butler, as told to Patrick Perry -- Negative stereotypes about the elderly are formed in early childhood / Jamie Hanlon -- Negative stereotypes about the elderly are widespread and damaging / Kay Lazar -- Positive perceptions of old age should be cultivated by the young / Ilan Shrira -- In China the elderly are honored and admired / Kelly Clady-Giramma -- Are elderly people unhappy with their lives? -- Overview: research about happiness in old age yields conflicting results / Jeanna Bryner -- Yes: old age is a time of decline and loss / Lillian B. Rubin -- Giving up driving is difficult / Anita Creamer -- Isolation in old age is depressing, especially for immigrants / Paul Kleyman -- Elderly same-sex couples may lose their right to make choices / Joe Mirabella -- No: elderly people often find happiness -- Growing old is not as unpleasant as younger adults expect it to be / Paul Taylor -- Some elderly people enjoy their old age / Jerry Large -- Old age can bring serenity, and in some cases, new achievements / Jeanne Conte -- Should more medical care be provided to the elderly? -- Yes: the elderly are not receiving all the care they need. -- The need for long-term care is not being met / Jane Gross -- Government control will lead to rationing of medical treatment for the elderly / Wall Street Journal Online -- The Field of geriatric medicine is vanishing because of inadequate funding / Lewis A. Lipsitz -- No: the elderly now receive too much needless medical treatment -- The Elderly are being harmed by over medication / Margaret Cruikshank -- Some nursing home elderly get futile care / Associated press -- High-tech care for people over eighty is just too costly to be justified / Daniel Callahan -- Excessive treatment of people dying of old age is cruel / Craig Bowron -- What major problems are common among the elderly? -- Poverty among the elderly is widespread in America / Ellen O'Brien, Ke Bin Wu, and David Baer -- Homelessness is increasing among elderly adults / M William Sermons and Meghan Henry -- Some people must continue to work in old age, yet cannot find jobs / Clare Ansberry -- The Elderly are vulnerable to fraud and financial abuse / Investor protection trust -- The Elderly in nursing homes are vulnerable to abuse / David Couch -- Some elders must take drastic measures to obtain long-term care / Mary A. Fischer.