RRF Foundation for Aging (RRF) was excited to see the compelling editorial series published by The New York Times (NYT) on aging in America. The series addresses RRF’s shared concerns on caregiving, housing, social isolation, and older adults’ access to useful innovations in technology. On Sunday, September 10, The New York Times featured a full-page publisher’s editorial as part of a special six-part series exploring the question “Can America Age Gracefully?“
The editorial, “An Aging America Needs an Honest Conversation about Growing Old,” (linked here) notes the rising number of older adults and explains how “this demographic change will affect every part of society.” The piece recognizes that “the challenge the country faces transcends ideology, geography, and ethnic or racial category, and it [calls for] American leaders, regardless of their [political] party, to confront [this issue] with the appropriate urgency.”
Articles in the Series
Related articles in the series (available via a NYT subscription) provide solution-oriented examples. Several delve into topics that align with the Foundation’s areas of interest and highlight innovative approaches to address these critical concerns, such as:
- An Aging America Needs Flexible Housing
- An Aging America Needs Caregivers Who Are Cared For
- An Aging America Needs Entrepreneurs Who Pay Attention
These companion articles shine a light on older people’s lived experiences, including the segment, An Aging America Needs…To See and Be Seen. This pictorial challenge asks 12 renowned photographers to see aging with a different lens, one that features vibrant faces, actively engaged personalities and life’s moments among older adults. We commend The New York Times editorial team, contributing journalists, photographers, and illustrators on a striking and comprehensive news report. We are delighted by the robust response the series has received (available via a NYT subscription) and the conversations it has sparked among the public.
Congratulations to RRF’s grantee partners at Columbia University’s Age Boom Academy — Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH, Bruce Shapiro, and Caitlin Hawke — and to New York Times Editorial Board member Michelle Cottle, who participated in the 2022 Age Boom Academy funded by RRF, for bringing the matter of aging in America to the attention of the New York Times readership and for the Columbia University Age Boom Academy’s leadership offering related forums on our aging population’s complex issues.
We encourage our government officials, policymakers, advocates, philanthropic colleagues, community leaders, and other stakeholders to accelerate efforts already underway to advance the conversation on what’s needed for optimal quality of life as we age, and to take action on what is necessary for all of society to adapt and thrive through America’s demographic shift.
