Consider strategies for keeping active and engaged socially in later life.

Emerging national and international research suggests that loneliness is a growing concern for humans of all ages, so much so that it has been called a public health crisis. While not necessarily a normal part of the aging process in later life, loneliness is particularly harmful for older adults at risk for increased social isolation due to accumulated losses, health challenges, living alone, and lack of resources. In this multi-faceted presentation, we will consider multiple perspectives on the nature and extent of loneliness and social isolation in later life, focusing on powerful, positive strategies for actively engaging in aging and maintaining (and creating!) beneficial connections with others.

Jennifer Sasser is an educational gerontologist, transdisciplinary scholar, and community activist. She has worked in the field of gerontology for more than half her life, beginning as a nursing assistant and senior citizen advocate before focusing on scholarly inquiry and education. For the past twenty years Sasser has focused inquiry into: areas of creativity in later life; aging and embodiment; transdisciplinary curriculum design; Critical Gerontological theory; and transformational adult learning practices. She served on the Portland Community College Gerontology faculty from 2016 to 2018 and spearheaded the Ending Ageism campaign.


*ani*