The Age of Dignity Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America

Ai-jen Poo is a MacArthur Genius grant winner and author of the book, The Age of Dignity.

Ai-jen Poo is a MacArthur Genius grant winner and author of the book, The Age of Dignity.

She is the author of the celebrated book, the age of dignity

Preparing for the elder boom in a changing America.

Her book is The Age of Dignity.

In the book, one thing I really love is that you have pictures that open many of the chapters. The first, I believe this is the first one in the book, the first chapter is with your, this is your grandmother, right?

That's my grandmother, yeah.

Yeah, and you say, Mrs. Sun, how you refer to her, is an immigrant from China living in Los Angeles County with her two adult sons and husband. She works as a caregiver for my grandmother and is an invaluable presence in my family. We are a team and my grandmother is at the heart of it all, living life fully on her terms at 87.

Nothing about the relational aspects of caregiving makes it any less of a real job.

Caregiving is most definitely work, physically strenuous, rigorous work that requires discernment and flexibility.

As with all forms of labor, you put a hard day's work, and you expect to be appreciated and compensated. You strive to do better and learn more, and you expect to advance over the course of a full career.

You take pride in your work and expect to be rewarded. You take pride in your work and expect to be able to support your family.

But we're failing these employees, these laborers in our midst, these neighbors and fellow humans.