Episode 20:7 Jeanette Leardi on Why We Should All "Age Sideways"

Social gerontologist Jeanette Leardi shares insights from her new book Aging Sideways, Changing Our Perspectives on Getting Older. An encyclopedia of knowledge on aging well, she busts traditional myths of aging and inspires people of all ages to adopt new paradigms of what it looks like to get older.

About Jeanette

Jeanette Leardi is a social gerontologist, community educator, writer, public speaker, and aging wellness leader who has a passion for empowering older adults and helping them identify and share their wisdom with others. Her decade of experiences as a caregiver to her parents inspired her encore career goals of changing perceptions about the aging process and promoting awareness of elders’ inherent dignity, wisdom, and unique value as mentors and catalysts for social change. Leardi's efforts include giving engaging in-person and virtual presentations, workshops, and classes to people of all ages; writing articles for Next Avenue, 3rd Act Magazine, and other publications; and appearing on national broadcasts. Her editorial experiences include positions at Newsweek, Life, People, Condé Nast Traveler, and Sesame Street magazines, and The Charlotte Observer.

Leardi has an M.A. with honors in English from Rutgers University and a gerontology graduate certificate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. 

Key Takeaways

The general perception of aging is fear-based, and the narrative is that decline is inevitable. Being an “old person in training” means going with the flow, using our experience and skills, and appreciating what we have rather than mourning what we have lost.

Language matters. The term “Silver tsunami” is negative because a tsunami is a huge wave that destroys everything. Older people are “silver reservoirs.”

Aging Myths: Myth One: Aging is a disease. Myth Two: Dementia is inevitable (2/3rds of people over 90 do not have dementia). Myth Three: All older adults are alike. In reality, we get more different as we get older.. Myth Four. Older adults can't learn new things. Truth is, you can teach an old dog new tricks!