The Film

  
How does someone define aging?  Is your age in your body or in your mind?  What is the future of aging in America? Growing Old is a film that addresses these questions through conversations with elders, baby boomers, and people in health care.   These slices of life focus on how people embrace the wonders of aging and deal with its challenges as well.
 

  
Helen Metros has been a waitress at Charlie's Kitchen, a restaurant in Cambridge Massachusetts, for over thirty five years.  At seventy-four years old, she performs her job with more strength and energy than most people half her age. Helen surrounds herself with people she cares about, and her healthy views of aging and life uplift those around her.
       
Four years ago, Bob Ross was diagnosed with colon cancer.  At the time, he was given six months to live. His strong physical constitution and his determination to fight his disease have kept him alive years beyond the time that doctors thought he would have.  Bob speaks frankly about how he lives his life, his perspective on the world, and how he's made his life meaningful.
 
    

Dr. Paul Mazur believes in giving quality treatment to elders, regardless of their income.  He sees people throughout greater Boston: in group homes, nursing homes, assisted living, and on the street.  He tries to give his patients the best care for them, whether it's placing them in the right kind of elder facility, helping them decide if they want to go on hospice, or just making sure they get their immunizations and regular check up.
   
Chester Higgins, Jr. is a photographer who is frustrated with the negative way that people view aging in America.  Through his photo project Elder Grace, he illuminates the nobility of aging.  By creating positive images of the best that aging can be, he hopes to make people more comfortable and dignified as they grow old. (website)
   
As the baby boomers become elders, their large numbers are going to put tremendous strains on elder care.  In Boston, Massachusetts elder care is already fractured, and many elders are being forced into the streets.  Helping Elders At Risk Through Homes (HEARTH) is dedicated to stopping elder homelessness, so that all elders can be given the chance to age well. (website)
       

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