Search - Frontline: Living Old on DVD

Sharon F. (Shar) from AVON PARK, FL
Reviewed on 6/25/2023...

A very informative documentary about the pitfalls of growing old. With advancements in medicine and procedures, more and more people are living longer. Is it a burden or a miracle?

The VERY elderly

Jeffery Mingo | Homewood, IL USA | 01/20/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This work says the number of Americans above age 85 will skyrocket over the next decades. It says for many, they're alive, but barely. It asks, "What's the purpose of living if so many of your bodily functions are gone?" It shows how science has extended life, but that has created as many problems as it solved.

This work tried to be diverse in terms of race and gender, and really national origin as well. However, I wish it would have spoken about the demographics of the elderly. I'm an African-American male and it stood out to me that not a single example the work presented was of an elderly, Black male. As far as I've read, women outlive men and whites outlive Blacks. This work did show more white females than any other race-and-gender group, but it never speaks about it. This work presents the situation as if it's everyone's problem, but even in the 21st century, some people are living longer while others are not. The cover even points to this dynamic that the work leaves unspoken.

On a positive note, this work spoke about my grandmother's generation. It showed many people in their 60s worrying about the fate of their parents who are in their 90s. I feel like I have many a decade before my mother faces this and this gives me time to prepare for it. In fact, I want my parents to see this work, so we can make plans if they are fortunate enough to live to see 90. This may be a wonderful work for us younger folk to see now so that we can plan for our older loved ones."