Older People in Law and Society

It is widely claimed that we are facing a "demographic time bomb" with an increasing older population and a decreasing working population. On the whole there are three conflicting attitudes in society towards older people. Those who see older people as a "problem": how can we afford their care?; will the NHS be crippled by the expense of caring for older people? Those who are concerned at the maltreatment of older people: how can we protect older people from abuse?; how can be sure they are receiving adequate health care? Those who argue that society is squandering the resources that older people offer and seek ways to empower them to play a more active role in community life. These conflicting views of how to approach the "problem" of older people are also reflected in the mixed response of the law. This book presents possible solutions to these problems and highlights the need to protect older people from abuse and poverty in order to ensure that they do not have an undignified old age, but also the need to empower older people to live active and fulfilling last years.

Jonathan Herring is a Fellow in Law at Exeter College, University of Oxford. He is author of several books including Criminal Law: Text, Cases and Materials (OUP. 2008); Criminal Law (Palgrave, 2006); Medical Law and Ethics (OUP, 2008) and Family Law (Pearson, 2007). He has also written widely on issues relating to criminal law, family law and medical law. In 2007 he was the George P. Smith Distinguished Visiting Professor-Chair at the University of Indiana.

1. Introduction2. Ageism3. Capacity4. Carers5. Elder Abuse6. Financial issues for older people7. Grandparents and the law8. Health care and the elderly9. Wills and intestacy10. Conclusion