Cruikshank’s discussion of the overmedicalization of aging reveals how deeply structural forces shape what we believe aging should look like. What stood out most was her argument that aging has been framed as a medical problem not because older adults are inherently sicker, but because illness is profitable within the medical‑industrial complex. Cruikshank (2013) shows that older adults are routinely positioned in the “sick role,” reinforcing the idea that decline is the central feature of later life. Her claim that aging could look entirely different if financial incentives prioritized wellness rather than disease reframes aging as a socially constructed outcome rather than a biological certainty, aligning with broader critiques of medicalization and structural ageism.
Aronson’s patient narratives make this structural critique personal and concrete. Her conversation with Irina, Dimitri’s daughter, illustrates how families often feel pressured to defer to medical authority even when the recommended care does not align with their loved one’s needs. Irina’s confusion and distress highlight the imbalance of power between physicians and families, and Aronson (2019) shows how easily older adults can be swept into cycles of intervention that prioritize procedures over personhood. This exchange also reveals the moral distress clinicians experience when they are asked to provide treatments that prolong suffering rather than improve quality of life. Aronson’s storytelling underscores the need for patient‑centered care and a more humane approach to elderhood.
Cruikshank’s discussion of Alzheimer’s disease further demonstrates how aging has been culturally constructed through a narrow lens of decline. When she writes that Alzheimer’s “stands for aging in America,” she means that dementia has become the symbolic representation of old age so much so that people equate aging with cognitive deterioration (Cruikshank, 2013). This framing intensifies fear of aging among younger people and reinforces the belief that old age is defined primarily by loss. Aronson takes a different approach in her section “Confusion,” treating dementia as a complex condition that requires patience, understanding, and individualized care rather than panic or stigma. Her perspective centers the lived experience of dementia and the humanity of the person behind the symptoms (Aronson, 2019). Although awareness has improved, society still largely treats dementia as the defining feature of aging, suggesting we have not fully embraced Aronson’s more nuanced and compassionate approach to dementia‑inclusive care.
The article I selected Chapter 2 of the Research Anthology on Supporting Healthy Aging in a Digital Society expanded my understanding of how structural inequities shape health long before old age. The chapter emphasizes that digital access, digital literacy, and equitable technology design are now central to healthy aging (Information Resources Management Association, 2022). Digital tools such as telehealth, remote monitoring, and communication platforms can support independence, reduce isolation, and improve preventive care. However, the chapter also warns that technology can deepen existing disparities for older adults with limited income, internet access, or digital skills. This mirrors Cruikshank’s argument that aging is socially constructed and shaped by systems that prioritize profit over prevention, and it aligns with Aronson’s critique of overmedicalization by showing how technology can either empower older adults or reinforce impersonal, high‑intervention care. The chapter left me wondering how aging might look if digital tools were designed with equity, accessibility, and wellness not profit as the primary goals. I am still curious about models of care that successfully integrate technology while reducing overmedicalization and improving quality of life for older adults, especially those from marginalized communities.
References
Information Resources Management Association. (2022). Research anthology on supporting healthy aging in a digital society. Information Science Reference.
Cruikshank, M. (2013). Learning to be old: Gender, culture, and aging (3rd ed.). Bloomsbury US Non‑Trade.
Aronson, L. (2019). Elderhood: Redefining aging, transforming medicine, reimagining life (1st ed.). Bloomsbury US Trade.
Hi Monesha!
Your point about how aging has become so closely connected to decline and illness stood out to me. I think the discussion of Alzheimer’s was especially interesting because the fear of dementia can sometimes make people forget that aging can also involve independence, relationships, and meaningful experiences. I also thought the connection to technology was interesting because it can support older adults, but it can also create another barrier when people do not have access to it or are not comfortable using it. This made me think about how important it is to make sure new approaches to aging actually support older adults instead of creating another system they have to navigate.
Monesha,
I think you tried to cut and paste your content into the blog post, which is why you’re seeing the double-spaced formatting and text size. I have to admit, it makes me wonder whether you used AI to draft your blog post. No judgment intended in my comments, but the answers don’t seem responsive to the questions. I just asked what surprised you most and why. You analyzed the material in relation to that question. I ask the reflection questions because I want you to reflect, not analyze. I know you all have a lot on your plates and sometimes offloading some work can feel helpful. But the point of this chapter is to think about what you learned about the overmedicalization of older adults that you didn’t expect – if anything. I didn’t get that in your response – but more importantly, you didn’t have the chance to learn that for yourself.
In terms of Dimitri’s daughter, while I agree that there is a balance of power issue between medical professionals and family members, in this case the significant issue is that Aronson worked to ask the right questions – and to continue to ask for more details – until she got the information that told her why Dimitri was deteriorating physically.
Finally, your article selection is a problem because it isn’t an article; it is a chapter in a book. I think it might be peer-reviewed, but I didn’t go and check. I think it’s an interesting thought to consider digital equity as a potential cause of overmedication. I’m not sure I can quite see that path, but I get the point.
Dr P