EP13:
Dr. Louise Aronson

QUOTES

“I realized that I really enjoyed taking care of older people for a series of reasons. One was you couldn’t really take care of the part without thinking about the whole.” (Dr. Aronson)

“I came up with this notion of elderhood as a sort of equivalence to childhood and adulthood. And I thought that was a reframe that might be helpful for us both as individuals and as a society.” (Dr. Aronson)

“It’s insulting. And when you see this in scientific studies, it absolutely lacks rigor, any evidence of truthfulness, and yet people do it all the time.” (Dr. Aronson)

“We harm our future selves because we create a self-creating, self-perpetuating fear.” (Dr. Aronson)

“It’s the only stage of life where people apologize all the time for existing, for not being able to do things.” (Dr. Aronson)

“Traits we all should have, but not all of us are lucky enough to get it. A sense of humor helps. So really basic things, because it’s very interesting.” (Dr. Aronson)

“There is just a baked-in bias that the people who need the services most are least important.” (Dr. Aronson)

“They blame old age for what was a failure to incorporate aging pharmacology and physiology into their treatment plan.” (Dr. Aronson)

“Training for all health professionals would be proportional to the amount of time they will be spending caring for that population.” (Dr. Aronson)

“Our system doesn’t give us what we want and needs to be totally restructured to prioritize health.” (Dr. Aronson)

NOTES

Dr. Louise Aronson is a geriatrician, educator, and bestselling author of Elderhood. A leading voice in redefining how we view aging, she brings decades of medical practice, personal insight, and cultural critique to her advocacy for older adults.

 Dr. Aronson is a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she also directs the campus-wide Health Humanities Initiative. Her work integrates clinical care, education, and the humanities to advance eldercare.

Her book Elderhood reframes aging as a vital, complex life stage deserving the same recognition and nuance we give childhood and adulthood. She’s a thought leader on ageism in medicine and society, and frequently collaborates on innovations in intergenerational programs, healthcare reform, and policy.

Most people don’t plan to work with older adults—but it’s meaningful, intellectually rich, and deeply needed work.

The term “elderhood” positions aging as a legitimate, diverse, and multi-decade stage of life, much like childhood or adulthood.

Society often equates aging with decline, but many older adults thrive by adapting, staying engaged, and embracing their phase of life.

There’s a dangerous tendency to treat everyone over 65 as a monolith, despite the vast range of capabilities and needs.

Health care training devotes years to children and adults, but often just hours to older adults—despite them being the largest group needing care.

Ageism in medicine shows up in subtle and overt ways—from dismissive language to inappropriate treatments based solely on age.

Culture needs to stop writing off older adults; their stories, capabilities, and lives matter and should be reflected in how we design systems and spaces.

Dr. Aronson sees hope in younger generations and entrepreneurs bringing compassion and innovation into the “elder space,” as well as boomers advocating for their own aging experience.