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ging Is Living is about men and women who have found meaning, purpose, hope and joy in life while living in a long term care home. They are not just waiting to die- they are very much connected to life despite numerous challenges. Hopefully the book will help take away some of the fear that people have about spending the latter part of their life in a nursing home.

I travelled around the province interviewing and photographing people who are actively engaged with the future- as well as the present. The book is really the residents voice as told to me. Their thoughts need to be shared with the public. Hopefully this book will give these men and women a much needed presence and a dignity.

So much of the media coverage that long term care homes receive is negative but as a social worker who has worked in the different levels of care I was a likely person to tell the other side of the story.

I feel that Aging Is Living is timely and an important piece of work as the baby boomers are the next generation of elders and many of the boomers are caring for aging parents while being very involved in their children’s lives as well as the lives of their grandchildren. Hopefully the book will help my generation, my parent’s generation and social work and gerontology students as well.

Staying at home when care needs are round the clock and a person is housebound creates social isolation which is bad for your physical and mental health. Aging Is Living illustrates how people in nursing homes can thrive because their care needs are provided for, along with being offered a variety of social programs. The family of the resident can also be released from survival mode to mend relationships and enjoy each other’s company.

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The images and the stories are candid, hopeful, inspiring and myth shattering

Dear Mrs. Ash,

Your book is beautiful and such a necessary book. Thank you for it.
I hope many, many may read it and find comfort and hope.
Yes, the ideal is to stay at home. But so many cannot do this.
So let us make nursing homes for aging people places of joy and happiness!
Your book can help many. Thank you for writing it.
I am so late in answering - please forgive.
May your heart be full of peace.

Love Jean (Dr. Jean Vanier)

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links to other books by Irene Borins Ash:

Treasured Legacies: Older and Still Great

Aging Is Living
Myth Breaking Stories From Long Term Care
Dundurn Press
$26.99 - 200 pages

A portion of the authors’ proceeds from this book will be donated to Pat’s Place, a program operated out of Family Service Toronto that helps abused seniors.

Irene Borins Ash (the author)