Elderly women who live alone are considered at greater risk for loneliness, depression, and decreased mobility. This paper examines the influences of late-life friendships and senior center activities on the health and well-being of aging women living alone. Based on the findings from 274 women living alone it was found that the senior center is an excellent environment where new supportive friendships can easily be formed. These friendships and other center activities have positive mental and physical outcomes. Using a comparison group of 171 elderly women living with their spouses, it was discovered that women who lived alone participated in center activities more frequently and, as a result, also created a social network that extended outside of the center environment.

Prison populations are experiencing rapid increases and many more offenders are dying in prison. This study investigated key variables associated with death anxiety among a group of aging prisoners. For this research, 102 respondents residing in a maximum security prison with a mean age of 59 completed Templer's Death Anxiety Scale. A regression analysis showed that age, inmate social supports, and a number of health related variables were important predictors of death fear. The findings revealed that fear of death is slightly higher among older prisoners than for similar age groups in the community. Qualitative information based on personal narratives found that some inmates see death as an escape, while others expressed fears of dying in prison or the stigma associated with imprisonment.

indicate these countries, along with the United States, are all grappling with nearly identical issues associated with an aging prison population. Without timely attention to the experiences of geriatric offenders, officials globally will undeniably be presented with a crisis that, in return, would negatively impact all aspects of the correctional system. Despite the fact that nations around the globe are confronted with the dilemma of managing increasingly large numbers of older offenders, prisons have been slow to respond to the social, physical, and mental health needs of this special subgroup of inmates. Although a number of countries have commissioned studies to examine and make policy recommendations, the body of knowledge available on forecasting future policies for aging prisoners remains limited (Sterns, Lax, Sed, Keohane, & Sterns, 2008.) Correctional officials are now realizing the enormity of their responsibilities for addressing age-related needs in the areas of health, safety, protection, recreation, and socialization (Aday, 2003). The primary aim of this chapter will provide a voice to aging prisoners' experiences and highlight approaches for addressing these concerns. In the process, we will identify characteristics officials use in defining older offenders, distinguish among types of elderly offenders, and discuss how various medical and mental health problems, left unaddressed, negatively affect institutional adjustment. Looking to the future, we will shed light on concerns such as major advantages of age-segregated housing, the growing need for assisted living, nursing home or hospice units-as well as the demand for compassionate release, medical parole, and community-based alternatives to incarceration. Finally, consideration will be given to examining the impact the challenges associated with managing the geriatric prison population today will have on sentencing practices in the 21st century.

With tougher sentencing laws, an increasing number of individuals are finding themselves spending their final years of life in prison. Drawing on a sample of 327 women over the age of 50 incarcerated in five Southern states, the present study investigates the relationship between numerous health variables and the Templer Death Anxiety Scale (TDAS). Qualitatively, the article also provides personal accounts from inmates that serve to reinforce death fears when engaging the prison health care system. Participants reported a mean of 6.40 on the TDAS indicating a substantial degree of death anxiety when compared to community samples. Both mental and physical health measures were important indicators of death anxiety. Qualitative information discovered that respondents' concerns about dying in prison were often influenced by the perceived lack of adequate health care and the indifference of prison staff and other instances of penal harm.

The problem of providing mandated medical care has become commonplace as correctional systems in the United States struggle to manage unprecedented increases in its aging prison population. This study explores older incarcerated women's perceptions of prison health care policies and their day-to-day survival experiences. Aggregate data obtained from a sample of 327 older women (mean age = 56) residing in prison facilities in five Southern states were used to identify a baseline of health conditions and needs for this vulnerable group. With an average of 4.2 chronic health conditions, frequently histories of victimization, and high rates of mental health issues, the women's experiences of negotiating health care was particularly challenging. By incorporating the voices of older women, we expose the contradictions, dilemmas, and obstacles they experience in their attempts to obtain health care. It is clear from the personal accounts shared that, despite court mandates, penal harm practices such as delaying or denying medical treatment as well as occasional staff indifferences are common in women's prisons. With older women having the greatest need for health care, an age- and gender-sensitive approach is recommended.