Washington, DC: Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) announces the publication of Aging America: Coping with Loss, Dying, and Death in Later Life, the most recent addition to HFA's Living with Grief^® book series. Edited by Kenneth J. Doka and Amy S. Tucci, the book is a compilation of chapters by well-known experts in hospice and palliative care and gerontology. The book is published in conjunction with HFA's annual Living with Grief^® educational program.

America is aging at a rapid rate with 10,000 people in the U.S. turning 65 every day. By 2040, Medicare is expected to more than double to include 80 million enrollees. Advanced age can bring a range of losses from a spouse or partner to independence and identity. Along with experiencing multiple losses, older people are more likely to suffer from multiple chronic conditions requiring complex medical care and raising potential ethical issues at the end of life.

Hospice Foundation of America’s newest publication examines ways that mental health professionals, healthcare providers, and the wider community can support the growing aging U.S. population through these losses. Chapters include discussions of dying and loss in later life, including coping with dementia, accessing hospice, suicide, and the reality of institutional care; specific losses such as the death of a spouse or an adult child; and diversity, culture, and other factors that may influence grief. Authors include hospice and end-of-life care experts Samira Beckwith, Eileen Chichin, and Deborah Grassman; grief and bereavement authorities Kenneth Doka and Robert Neimeyer; and ethicists and researchers Brian de Vries, David Price, and Katherine Supiano. Authors also contributed personal Voices stories of loss and growth, including Myra MacPherson, a Pulitzer-Prize nominated journalist, and the O’Brien family, whose grandson was a veteran who died by suicide.

In her foreword, Marian Grant, Senior Regulatory Advisor, C-TAC, writes, “This book helps to outline the likely realities older adults will face in the next years and provides valuable information on how to maximize the opportunities of aging while supporting people as they grow older and experience grief and loss.” The book is part of the Living with Grief® series and is appropriate for clinicians and others working with the dying and bereaved.
 
Aging America: Coping with Loss, Dying, and Death in Later Life is available on HFA’s website or by calling 800-854-3402. For more information on HFA’s publications and programs, or to arrange an interview, contact Lisa Veglahn  at lveglahn@hospicefoundation.org or call 202-457-5811, ext. 1006.