Louise Aronson on Elderhood, Ageism, and COVID

In today's episode, Susan Ryan talks with Louise Aronson, MD, a geriatrician, educator, and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, where she directs UCSF Health Humanities. A graduate of Harvard Medical School and the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College, she has received many awards and accolades, including the Gold Professorship in Humanism, the California Home Care Physician of the Year Award, and the American Geriatrics Society Outstanding Mid-Career Clinical Educator of the Year Award, and more. Dr. Aronson is also an author, and has just recently released her book, Elderhood, which offers a broad perspective on the issues impacting aging and eldercare. Today, she talks about the three stages of life, particularly the third stage: Elderhood. Dr. Aronson tackles the ageist stigmas and stereotypes within the healthcare system that devalue and disregard elders. In addition, she discusses the COVID crisis, the inequity across the care continuum, particularly for people of color, and her role with the San Francisco Department of Public Health COVID Response Unit. In these complex and challenging times, Dr. Aronson offers fresh wisdom and thoughtful perspectives to help guide us forward in reimagining eldercare. Find Dr. Aronson on Twitter @LouiseAronson and online at www.louisearonson.com