Ageism in the Time of COVID: Podcast with Louise Aronson

In this week's GeriPal podcast we talk with Louise Aronson, author of the Pulitzer prize finalist Elderhood (https://www.amazon.com/Elderhood-Redefining-Transforming-Medicine-Reimagining/dp/1620405466). Louise has been one of the (sadly) few voices beating a loud and urgent drum in the medical and lay press about the insidious ageism taking place in the time of COVID. In a prior podcast we discussed the ways in which structural racism contributed to vast disparities in COVID, and similarly in this podcast we talk about the ways in which COVID exposes existing ageist assumptions, attitudes, and systematic forms of discrimination. To give a sense about how prolific Louise Aronson has been writing about ageism, here are links to just a sampling of her articles in the NEJM, New York Times 1 and 2, VOX, Forbes, and the Atlantic. She also mentions this terrific piece by Nathan Stall and Samir Sinha during the podcast. And wow - love the song choice - It's the End of the World As We Know It by REM. Sure seems like it these days. -Alex Smith