When you think of "old age" what words come to mind? Louise Aronson, Elderhood Transformer, suggests that our society casts a shadow on the late years of life, from the words we use to the attention we give to aging populations. The problem is cyclical we find old age to be "hard and undesirable" because we think of it, talk about it, and treat it as "hard and undesirable". Moreover, although aging populations utilize the greatest proportion of the healthcare system, they are given the least individualized treatment, research, or focus as a subgroup. Louise argues for a welldefined, nuanced focus on "elderhood," just as we have created around childhood and adulthood. Recognizing elderhood as a significant life stage, that is often times longer than childhood, will help us improve quality of life and health outcomes for our aging population.

Louise believes that we can create an "elderhood" that we are eager to embrace rather than one that we fear and deny. Watch her 2020 TEDMED Talk "Embracing elderhood as a stage of life" now on TEDMED.com.