Discussion Questions

Prepare for class discussions by answering the discussion questions.

1. What do you consider to be “old”--how do you define it? How will you know when you are old? What do you expect to be different about your life when you’re old? What will be the same?

2. In America, we place a high priority on youth and tend to have a variety of methods for isolating our older adults--nursing homes, older adult apartment buildings, and retirement communities. What is the impact of separating our older loved ones, both on them and on us? Why is this so commonplace in our country?

3. The idea of older people being sexually active is unsettling to many young people. Why is that? Is there a point at which you expect your sex drive to stop altogether? Is there an age after which you think it is no longer a good idea for people to have sex?

4. What can you do now to give yourself the best chance to be healthy in your older years? Are there any changes you can make right now? If you continue to live the way you do right now, what might be the long-term consequences?