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Aging Out: An Exploration of Caregiving, Community, and How Americans Grow Old
A deeply personal investigation into the current state of eldercare and what it means to grow old in America
Unlike many other cultures, our collective stance toward older people in the United States has long been one of casual avoidance and neglect. This attitude became brutally clear during the height of the COVID pandemic, when too many people saw elderly deaths not as tragedies but as foregone conclusions.
Like many of us, Lucy Schiller experienced this callousness firsthand when her grandmother passed away during the pandemic. In the wake of this trauma, propelled by equal parts grief and curiosity about her own fear of aging, Schiller embarked on an investigative journey to understand why the prospect of aging is so frightening and how being “old” in America intersects with class, race, disability, and public policy.
From profit-driven networks of care facilities to systemic failures in economic support, the future of older Americans looks increasingly uncertain. In Aging Out, Schiller reports this crisis, sharing the human toll of inadequate housing, health care, and community, while simultaneously excavating her own complicated relationship with aging.
Combining the incisive reporting of Evicted with the beautifully rendered introspection of The Empathy Exams, Aging Out is an intimate and unflinching exploration of what it means to age in this country and why Americans—including Schiller herself—are so terrified of getting old.
Unlike many other cultures, our collective stance toward older people in the United States has long been one of casual avoidance and neglect. This attitude became brutally clear during the height of the COVID pandemic, when too many people saw elderly deaths not as tragedies but as foregone conclusions.
Like many of us, Lucy Schiller experienced this callousness firsthand when her grandmother passed away during the pandemic. In the wake of this trauma, propelled by equal parts grief and curiosity about her own fear of aging, Schiller embarked on an investigative journey to understand why the prospect of aging is so frightening and how being “old” in America intersects with class, race, disability, and public policy.
From profit-driven networks of care facilities to systemic failures in economic support, the future of older Americans looks increasingly uncertain. In Aging Out, Schiller reports this crisis, sharing the human toll of inadequate housing, health care, and community, while simultaneously excavating her own complicated relationship with aging.
Combining the incisive reporting of Evicted with the beautifully rendered introspection of The Empathy Exams, Aging Out is an intimate and unflinching exploration of what it means to age in this country and why Americans—including Schiller herself—are so terrified of getting old.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 14, 2026
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August 10, 2026
This is a memoir by an author who is a thirty-something from the millennial generation who is keenly observing the consequences of growing old, and the variety of ways older people are treated and cared for. She has recently experienced the death of one grandparent and helped care for the other grandparent. These experiences have prodded her into exploring the subject of eldercare and growing old in America. But this book remains very much a memoir, and at least half of its narrative is addressing her own feelings, circumstances, and experiences. Thus once we finish this book we know as much about her as we do older people.
Which make we wonder who the intended reading audience happens to be. Are her fellow millennials the targets or people who are already old? It's clear to me that it's the millennials who could profit the most from reading this book since it might inspire them to plan ahead and perhaps save more for their later years. However it is my guess that most of the readers will be boomers who are curious to compare their circumstances with those of their generational cohorts.
Readers of the book will learn early in the book what we already know—it helps to have money. People who are able to pay for the level of care and independence that they want and need can have reasonable expectations of living pleasant and happy older years. However, the prospects for those who will be depending on government assistance have fewer and less desirable options—in some cases very unpleasant options. Some people assume that Medicare will help pay for nursing home care (it doesn't). Medicaid for the indigent (and those who "spend down" their resources to qualify) can pay for nursing home care, but options are limited and quality less assured.
There's a chapter on the history of Medicare which I think would be very educational for everyone to read. Its first proposed concept under the Truman administration was to pay for everyone's medical care. Private business interests killed that idea, so by the time it finally passed under the Johnson administration it was limited to those over age sixty-five. However, its coverage was so limited that it left room for private insurance to remain involved. Insurers soon offered, to those who could afford it, Medigap insurance (a.k.a. Medicare Supplement Plans). Then the private insurance business lobbied themselves into being allowed to offer Advantage Plans. Then it was expanded to offer pharmacy insurance which came through private insurers.
The book also includes discussion of friendly visitor programs that are subsidized by insurance companies to help fight the loneliness epidemic. Ironically, polling shows that younger people report being lonely at a higher rate than older people. The author reports on her experiences being a visitor in one such program.
The book also discusses PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) which is a Medicare and Medicaid program that provides comprehensive medical and social services to help frail older adults live safely in their community instead of a nursing home. My daughter used to work for On Lok which is a PACE program in San Francisco.
There's also a chapter on the history of the Gray Panthers and another chapter on the history of the American Association of Retired People (AARP).
The following are some excerpts taken from near the end of the book:
Which make we wonder who the intended reading audience happens to be. Are her fellow millennials the targets or people who are already old? It's clear to me that it's the millennials who could profit the most from reading this book since it might inspire them to plan ahead and perhaps save more for their later years. However it is my guess that most of the readers will be boomers who are curious to compare their circumstances with those of their generational cohorts.
Readers of the book will learn early in the book what we already know—it helps to have money. People who are able to pay for the level of care and independence that they want and need can have reasonable expectations of living pleasant and happy older years. However, the prospects for those who will be depending on government assistance have fewer and less desirable options—in some cases very unpleasant options. Some people assume that Medicare will help pay for nursing home care (it doesn't). Medicaid for the indigent (and those who "spend down" their resources to qualify) can pay for nursing home care, but options are limited and quality less assured.
There's a chapter on the history of Medicare which I think would be very educational for everyone to read. Its first proposed concept under the Truman administration was to pay for everyone's medical care. Private business interests killed that idea, so by the time it finally passed under the Johnson administration it was limited to those over age sixty-five. However, its coverage was so limited that it left room for private insurance to remain involved. Insurers soon offered, to those who could afford it, Medigap insurance (a.k.a. Medicare Supplement Plans). Then the private insurance business lobbied themselves into being allowed to offer Advantage Plans. Then it was expanded to offer pharmacy insurance which came through private insurers.
The book also includes discussion of friendly visitor programs that are subsidized by insurance companies to help fight the loneliness epidemic. Ironically, polling shows that younger people report being lonely at a higher rate than older people. The author reports on her experiences being a visitor in one such program.
The book also discusses PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) which is a Medicare and Medicaid program that provides comprehensive medical and social services to help frail older adults live safely in their community instead of a nursing home. My daughter used to work for On Lok which is a PACE program in San Francisco.
There's also a chapter on the history of the Gray Panthers and another chapter on the history of the American Association of Retired People (AARP).
The following are some excerpts taken from near the end of the book:
Linear time is how many of us think about aging. After all, you start young and healthy, you end decades later in a frizz of ailments ... If we were to think with linearity, the future of growing old did not look great. I did not feel, honestly, that great or good news sat ahead of us. It was not possible for me to imagine a solution to the level of fragmentation, pain, and dysfunction I saw in my research and around me. It was very possible to feel a deep despair about the future, and what it might look like for those of us currently in our 20s, 30s, or 40s. ...
... The changes that were happening were years, even decades in the making. The holes, for instance, built into Medicare, which have allowed private insurance companies to fill them. Or stepping further back, the fact that Medicare was built only for older and later disabled people in the first place, and not, as originally proposed, for everyone. ...
... Statistically, to get old in this country means you are a white woman. ...
... Growing old is a privilege. ...
... Social Security benefits may very well be cut by 2034. The proposed more stringent work requirements for Medicaid eligibility highlight the connection between a certain version of productivity and who is deemed worthy of receiving health insurance or healthcare. ...
... If Medicaid were to get cut for the average PACE program, ... it's going to cause a shutdown. They wouldn't be able to tolerate that kind of loss. Same for nursing homes. Most nursing homes are pretty much on the brink already ...
March 29, 2026
Aging Out: An Exploration of Caregiving, Community, and How Americans Grow Old by Lucy Schiller examines aging in the United States, focusing on caregiving systems, nursing homes versus assisted living, Medicare and Medicare Advantage, non-medical home care, and the role of lobbying and activism. The book combines personal narrative with broader discussion of how institutions and policies shape the experience of growing old, with most of the analysis centered on societal and structural issues rather than individual case studies.
I thought the strongest part of the book was the section on non-medical home care. That’s where the author actually includes interviews with older adults, and it felt more grounded and real. Outside of that, I didn’t enjoy the book. I felt like it stayed too broad and relied too much on the author’s perspective instead of showing how people actually experience these issues. The chapters were hard to follow, and the structure made it difficult to stay engaged.
I was also disappointed that the book spent so much time pointing out problems without offering solutions. I expected something more practical—like identifying issues and then showing what different communities, states, or organizations are doing to address them. Instead, it came across more like ongoing complaints without direction. By the end, I didn’t feel like I learned much beyond the basics, and it didn’t give me a clearer understanding of what could be done differently.
Overall, there is some useful information here, but the approach didn’t work for me. The lack of focus, limited real-world perspective, and absence of solutions made it frustrating to get through, and I had a hard time connecting with it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing an advance copy.
I thought the strongest part of the book was the section on non-medical home care. That’s where the author actually includes interviews with older adults, and it felt more grounded and real. Outside of that, I didn’t enjoy the book. I felt like it stayed too broad and relied too much on the author’s perspective instead of showing how people actually experience these issues. The chapters were hard to follow, and the structure made it difficult to stay engaged.
I was also disappointed that the book spent so much time pointing out problems without offering solutions. I expected something more practical—like identifying issues and then showing what different communities, states, or organizations are doing to address them. Instead, it came across more like ongoing complaints without direction. By the end, I didn’t feel like I learned much beyond the basics, and it didn’t give me a clearer understanding of what could be done differently.
Overall, there is some useful information here, but the approach didn’t work for me. The lack of focus, limited real-world perspective, and absence of solutions made it frustrating to get through, and I had a hard time connecting with it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing an advance copy.
July 15, 2026
After speaking to my husband for about 20 minutes to sort my thoughts on this book, I feel finally ready to write a review.
Let it first be said that Lucy Schiller is a beautiful writer. She employs turns of phrase that make the pages simply sing in ways that are unusual for narrative nonfiction. I never thought I would find Pittsburgh a city that I wanted to visit until after I read her work. She paints vivid imagery for the reader and brings immediacy to the issues of aging, community and social justice for those affected by disability and infirmity at any age.
I think, at the end, that this could be have been fully successful as a memoir of her experience losing her grandmother and her subsequent recovery writing in Pittsburgh, with co-published essays or articles dealing with her aging research. It just didn’t gel together for me as a whole. The work is thorough, extremely well-grounded in scholarship. But it is undermined, in my estimation, by the disconnect from the emotional resonance of the rest of the work.
There is certainly much to be learned from what is written within this book, and I can recommend it to anyone working with older or disabled folks - social workers, community service providers, physicians, OT/PTs, nurses, and of course LTC and other facility staff.
Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the early copy for review.
Let it first be said that Lucy Schiller is a beautiful writer. She employs turns of phrase that make the pages simply sing in ways that are unusual for narrative nonfiction. I never thought I would find Pittsburgh a city that I wanted to visit until after I read her work. She paints vivid imagery for the reader and brings immediacy to the issues of aging, community and social justice for those affected by disability and infirmity at any age.
I think, at the end, that this could be have been fully successful as a memoir of her experience losing her grandmother and her subsequent recovery writing in Pittsburgh, with co-published essays or articles dealing with her aging research. It just didn’t gel together for me as a whole. The work is thorough, extremely well-grounded in scholarship. But it is undermined, in my estimation, by the disconnect from the emotional resonance of the rest of the work.
There is certainly much to be learned from what is written within this book, and I can recommend it to anyone working with older or disabled folks - social workers, community service providers, physicians, OT/PTs, nurses, and of course LTC and other facility staff.
Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the early copy for review.
August 19, 2026
I found this decently enjoyable and informative, though I picked it up thinking it was an educational nonfiction when it is actually a memoir. Which I also liked- but definitely note the vibe of this book is going to be like having an interesting conversation with a young person concerned about, and well studied in, eldercare / aging, vs attending a lecture on the topic- which was maybe more of what I was looking for
July 30, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Aging Out: An Exploration of Caregiving, Community and How Americans Grow Old
Author: Lucy Schiller
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: July 14, 2026
NON FICTION
AGING
POLITICS
HEALTHCARE
HEALTH
MEMOIR
I have been reading this non-fiction book in bits for about a month. Why? Because I am 72 and I know that almost everything Ms. Schiller points out is true and well-researched.
Age doesn’t define us. People do. I would love to work part-time, to stay busy, but I have been turned away from every job I applied for due to ageism. I have an extensive management career, training career, award-winning career, etc. But the minute they see my age, I can’t get a job at Publix as a cashier (and I voluntarily use the self-checkout line).
Ms. Schiller accurately describes the stigma in America of senior-based physicians, the lack of available medical resources, the need for advocates, the need to protect Social Security, the need for more assisted living facilities with acceptable living standards, grief, systemic reform in healthcare, affordable caregivers, respectful treatment, and more. The list is freaking limitless. And a personal pet peeve is the fact that many elderly die without the honor or dignity of a funeral. I find this unacceptable.
In a perfect world, our government and the younger generations would realize that caring for seniors NOW means effecting change in THEIR FUTURE. Otherwise, it will become evident that they will have missed a great opportunity to protect their future.
Thank you, Lucy Schiller, for writing a book that may reach some people and elevate discussions on how to effect change NOW.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.
#lucySchiller
#AgingOut
@macmillanusa
@netgalley
@flatiron_books
Aging Out: An Exploration of Caregiving, Community and How Americans Grow Old
Author: Lucy Schiller
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: July 14, 2026
NON FICTION
AGING
POLITICS
HEALTHCARE
HEALTH
MEMOIR
I have been reading this non-fiction book in bits for about a month. Why? Because I am 72 and I know that almost everything Ms. Schiller points out is true and well-researched.
Age doesn’t define us. People do. I would love to work part-time, to stay busy, but I have been turned away from every job I applied for due to ageism. I have an extensive management career, training career, award-winning career, etc. But the minute they see my age, I can’t get a job at Publix as a cashier (and I voluntarily use the self-checkout line).
Ms. Schiller accurately describes the stigma in America of senior-based physicians, the lack of available medical resources, the need for advocates, the need to protect Social Security, the need for more assisted living facilities with acceptable living standards, grief, systemic reform in healthcare, affordable caregivers, respectful treatment, and more. The list is freaking limitless. And a personal pet peeve is the fact that many elderly die without the honor or dignity of a funeral. I find this unacceptable.
In a perfect world, our government and the younger generations would realize that caring for seniors NOW means effecting change in THEIR FUTURE. Otherwise, it will become evident that they will have missed a great opportunity to protect their future.
Thank you, Lucy Schiller, for writing a book that may reach some people and elevate discussions on how to effect change NOW.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.
#lucySchiller
#AgingOut
@macmillanusa
@netgalley
@flatiron_books
July 29, 2026
While it discusses COVID consequences quite a bit, it also deals with care in facilities, Medicare and Medicare Advantage, AARP, the Gray Panthers, forced retirement, and even seniors in prisons which are not equipped to handle the additional health care and daily living requirements. It has provided a lot to consider now that I am in my 50s and am trying to prepare for the next 30-50 years.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was besides myself to receive an ARC from Flatiron - Thank you! I'm an occupational therapist who works with geriatrics in a skilled nursing facility. As a result, the titular Aging Out has personal relevance and interest to me.
Lucy Schiller writes about "how younger people understand older people's material realities, the options available to them, and the choices they or their families made about housing." Accounts of elders residing in nursing homes, receiving home care programs, and even those incarcerated for life in prisons, were where the narrative really shone. Additional parts of the book I found interesting included explanations of some of the social programs for elders and how they came to be formed in the United States. AARP, Gray Panthers, for-profit, and privatized healthcare systems are discussed and Schiller attempts an objective examination of the role they may come to play in her own life.
Unfortunately I was less interested in the author's own anxieties about aging. Schiller writes- at length- about how "individualized the event of [her grandmother's] death seemed to have made her" and how she was "actively attempting to arrange [the facts] into a factual narrative that made some degree of sense." In this, she grapples. Schiller struggles to live in the moment; she excessively ruminates on the superficial quality of her relationships; she wonders why she's in Pittsburg. (Pittsburg is mentioned no fewer than 136 times.) I could not bring myself to care about her descriptions of various landmarks, street signs, and infrastructure she expounds upon while walking her dog. Schiller's account of her grandmother passing from COVID-19 was poignant and begs the question is a life longer lived worth less, when are are all humans being? Nevertheless, this was not marketed as a memoir, and as such, these passages went on for too long. I found myself tempted to skim them, hoping to read more about the elderly population she interviewed, volunteered for, and interacted with.
Lucy Schiller writes about "how younger people understand older people's material realities, the options available to them, and the choices they or their families made about housing." Accounts of elders residing in nursing homes, receiving home care programs, and even those incarcerated for life in prisons, were where the narrative really shone. Additional parts of the book I found interesting included explanations of some of the social programs for elders and how they came to be formed in the United States. AARP, Gray Panthers, for-profit, and privatized healthcare systems are discussed and Schiller attempts an objective examination of the role they may come to play in her own life.
Unfortunately I was less interested in the author's own anxieties about aging. Schiller writes- at length- about how "individualized the event of [her grandmother's] death seemed to have made her" and how she was "actively attempting to arrange [the facts] into a factual narrative that made some degree of sense." In this, she grapples. Schiller struggles to live in the moment; she excessively ruminates on the superficial quality of her relationships; she wonders why she's in Pittsburg. (Pittsburg is mentioned no fewer than 136 times.) I could not bring myself to care about her descriptions of various landmarks, street signs, and infrastructure she expounds upon while walking her dog. Schiller's account of her grandmother passing from COVID-19 was poignant and begs the question is a life longer lived worth less, when are are all humans being? Nevertheless, this was not marketed as a memoir, and as such, these passages went on for too long. I found myself tempted to skim them, hoping to read more about the elderly population she interviewed, volunteered for, and interacted with.
August 10, 2026
As I move into my 70s I become more interested in books about aging that you could not have paid me to read a decade ago. As this book explains, medicare and social security are not sufficient to support our aging population in a comfortable and respectful way and the private alternatives and supplements bridge the gap only for people who are well off. The idea of putting inconvenient unhealthy old people in a place to die without adequate care or caring is something that would have made my stomach turn even when I was young. Old people are human beings too and the idea that you have to have money to enjoy a decent old age in America is horrible. The deeply flawed concept of a medical system based on profit motives is toxic for all of us, but it is far worse for the old than the young. So I share Lucy Schiller's revulsion for the system that we have today. Fortunately, in the absence of disaster, I'll be one of the lucky few with enough money to enjoy the better end of the system, but that's more due to the lucky circumstances of my life that were handed to me than to my sterling qualities as a saver and a planner.
But I couldn't help feeling that the problem goes far beyond the flawed system of inadequate Medicare and poor facilities for people who need help. The author tells us how she lived with her grandmother and was her caregiver for several months, but that didn't last long, and she also tells us that there was always some distance in her relationship with her grandmother. So for all of her compassion for old people in the abstract, she seems to have been imperfect in her own behavior and attitudes to her grandmother. I don't raise this point to castigate her but to point out that if we had a society with more intact families living together where young and old understood and respected each other, then a lot of the problems with the care system would go away. One of the results of a society that emphasizes the individual and worships youth is that the old get left behind. That can't be the best way to run things.
But I couldn't help feeling that the problem goes far beyond the flawed system of inadequate Medicare and poor facilities for people who need help. The author tells us how she lived with her grandmother and was her caregiver for several months, but that didn't last long, and she also tells us that there was always some distance in her relationship with her grandmother. So for all of her compassion for old people in the abstract, she seems to have been imperfect in her own behavior and attitudes to her grandmother. I don't raise this point to castigate her but to point out that if we had a society with more intact families living together where young and old understood and respected each other, then a lot of the problems with the care system would go away. One of the results of a society that emphasizes the individual and worships youth is that the old get left behind. That can't be the best way to run things.
July 23, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC.
I think this book set out to do many things, and ended up not really doing any of them. I was never sure if this was supposed to be a critical social text or a memoir, as it had aspects of both, but somehow lacked the required depth to really make it one or the other. It was a pity, because the author did have a lot of interesting views and made important points, but the presentation just... wasn't really for me. A clearer line would have been great.
Then, I know this was an exploration and not a "how to fix things" kind of book, but still, any kind of perspective, even utopic dreaming, would have been great. Again, probably because this book combined genres in a way that didn't work for me, I felt like something was missing and the author should have done more.
I really think that this book would have been stronger as only memoir or only social criticism, or maybe a different blend of the two, but as it is now, I just felt that either aspect lacked depth and the book ended up being neither nor, instead of both and. I would still recommend people check this out though, as it does open interesting discussions; I just think these discussions will probably have to be had with other materials to supplement them, as this book doesn't really provide much.
I think this book set out to do many things, and ended up not really doing any of them. I was never sure if this was supposed to be a critical social text or a memoir, as it had aspects of both, but somehow lacked the required depth to really make it one or the other. It was a pity, because the author did have a lot of interesting views and made important points, but the presentation just... wasn't really for me. A clearer line would have been great.
Then, I know this was an exploration and not a "how to fix things" kind of book, but still, any kind of perspective, even utopic dreaming, would have been great. Again, probably because this book combined genres in a way that didn't work for me, I felt like something was missing and the author should have done more.
I really think that this book would have been stronger as only memoir or only social criticism, or maybe a different blend of the two, but as it is now, I just felt that either aspect lacked depth and the book ended up being neither nor, instead of both and. I would still recommend people check this out though, as it does open interesting discussions; I just think these discussions will probably have to be had with other materials to supplement them, as this book doesn't really provide much.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In the vein of Being Mortal, Lucy Schiller gives us a book that shines a light on all the injustices and hardships elderly folks live through.
It’s not a huge book, but does thoroughly examine questions such as: what is aging? When are people considered old? What is loneliness and how does it affect the elderly? She treats the elderly as a demographic and centers their humanity.
The book opens with her and her grandma moving into a house together with the author as her caretaker. Her grandma was previously in a retirement facility, but moved out because of Covid. If elderly are already halfway to death why did it matter if Covid shortened their lives? And thus goes the book.
Through the experience of assisting her grandma and through the experiences of other elderly people she came to know, she describes times when they slip through the cracks and the programs that hope to “catch” them. The differences of Medicare, AARP, buddy/“pal” programs, etc. I was introduced to the Gray Panthers and the discourse surrounding the aging incarcerated population. Things I had never considered, but now I’m concerned about.
Thank you to Schiller for writing a book on this important topic and to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC.
It’s not a huge book, but does thoroughly examine questions such as: what is aging? When are people considered old? What is loneliness and how does it affect the elderly? She treats the elderly as a demographic and centers their humanity.
The book opens with her and her grandma moving into a house together with the author as her caretaker. Her grandma was previously in a retirement facility, but moved out because of Covid. If elderly are already halfway to death why did it matter if Covid shortened their lives? And thus goes the book.
Through the experience of assisting her grandma and through the experiences of other elderly people she came to know, she describes times when they slip through the cracks and the programs that hope to “catch” them. The differences of Medicare, AARP, buddy/“pal” programs, etc. I was introduced to the Gray Panthers and the discourse surrounding the aging incarcerated population. Things I had never considered, but now I’m concerned about.
Thank you to Schiller for writing a book on this important topic and to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC.
August 13, 2026
I think my problem with this book stems from the marketing blurb: "Combining the incisive reporting of Evicted [...]" I came into it imagining it would be in the same realm as Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, but they are completely different. This book is a memoir, very self-indulgent, very much about the 30-something author. She lost her older grandmother to COVID and felt that others belittled the loss because of her grandmother's age. There are a smattering of facts about assisted living centers, nursing homes, etc. There are a few interesting history lessons about political movements around aging. But there is very little heart towards or exploration of the people who are aging in today's world. This was definitely about the author, and it needn't have been.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The author is a writer and teacher specializing in non-fiction. This book looks at aging and how the aged live in nursing homes, senior living centers or on their own. One chapter looks at the founding of AARP and Medicare. This book is written from the perspective of a single, non-religious woman in her late thirties. Much of what is in the book looks at similarly single older people with no children, and considering aging and disability. This was a depressing book for me, but as a 65+ married Christian I know that this does not have to be the way. I am surrounded by family and friends and a church community that cares for all of its members. Read this book to learn about a segment of our society and how you might be called to be involved.
I received and advanced copy from the publisher via Net Galley.
I received and advanced copy from the publisher via Net Galley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Wow, this book covers a lot! The author weaves the story of her grandmother dying from Covid and her grief over the death throughout practical details around long-term care, Medicare and much more.
I could really identify with the author’s beef around attributing Covid deaths in the elderly to “old age” - seems like a deception and I can understand her outrage. She does a great job of covering aging in general and the discrimination against older people. As an older woman, I frequently feel that invisibility that is often described. The book really goes into lots of detail about Medicare options. I think this information is useful for people just approaching retirement and Medicare age because there are so many factors to consider. It was a bit too much information for me as I am past this and not needing to make these decisions. So those parts of the book bogged me down some. But I still think that she presented good information for just the right audience.
I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator was excellent.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.
I could really identify with the author’s beef around attributing Covid deaths in the elderly to “old age” - seems like a deception and I can understand her outrage. She does a great job of covering aging in general and the discrimination against older people. As an older woman, I frequently feel that invisibility that is often described. The book really goes into lots of detail about Medicare options. I think this information is useful for people just approaching retirement and Medicare age because there are so many factors to consider. It was a bit too much information for me as I am past this and not needing to make these decisions. So those parts of the book bogged me down some. But I still think that she presented good information for just the right audience.
I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator was excellent.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Lucy Schiller blends her own experiences with a broader look at what it means to grow old in America. I appreciated the conversations she had with people who work in elder care, which offered interesting insights into the challenges of aging and caregiving.
The book was strongest when it focused on those bigger issues. Some of the personal stories about people and places in Schiller's life felt a little too long, and I thought the book sometimes drifted from its main topic. The organization also didn't quite work for me, though that may be just a matter of taste.
One clear takeaway is how much quality elder care often depends on having enough money—a sobering reality. Overall, I found the book informative, but I wished it had stayed more focused and gone deeper into the questions it raised.
The book was strongest when it focused on those bigger issues. Some of the personal stories about people and places in Schiller's life felt a little too long, and I thought the book sometimes drifted from its main topic. The organization also didn't quite work for me, though that may be just a matter of taste.
One clear takeaway is how much quality elder care often depends on having enough money—a sobering reality. Overall, I found the book informative, but I wished it had stayed more focused and gone deeper into the questions it raised.
August 12, 2026
Lucy Schiller presents Aging Out as a braided narrative comprising her own story, her experience of loss when her grandmother died during the pandemic, and her observations on the state of elder care in the United States. As the population ages and the birthrate declines, we're all going to have to put off the false stories of anti-aging and the quest for eternal youth and start to do business with the reality of our own aging bodies (or those of our loved ones) and the challenges they present. She addresses our culture's pervasive loneliness and the fear that accompanies any process when the outcome is unknown. I was not prepared for the book's tethering to the COVID-19 years or the deep dive into Pittsburgh.
August 6, 2026
Absolutely beautiful writing with so much depth of feeling around the author's own aging, the deaths of her grandmothers, and the experiences of the older people she writes about. Combined with fascinating and eye-opening research on the elder care industry and the ways that both older people and those who care for them are being shortchanged by both government and private institutions (with private equity of course being a driving culprit). This is a really important issue for readers of all ages to confront head-on and this book was a brilliant tool to help me do it - would recommend to everyone!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Aging Out is one of the rare non-fiction books that reads like fiction. I was entertained through out my time reading and felt I learned so much about how people are treated as they age in the United States. There was a lot of background from the author but it didn’t feel self indulgent or unnecessary; in fact all of the information we received helped to push the narrative along. I would recommend
July 30, 2026
Millennial MFA grad discovers that getting old in America sucks, somehow makes it all about herself. There are a few interesting facts and ideas as Schiller devotes a chapter to each one of her fears about aging (being alone, finances, housing options, etc.) and it made me want to visit Pittsburgh, where she did most of her research. But as a Xoomer counting down the months (five) until I can get Medicare, I was not impressed.
August 3, 2026
I like this book and gave it the 4th star for tackling a crucial and under evaluated topic. I thought she tried to do a bit too much mixing the memoir with the look at options for aging. Michael Cunninham pulled off a half memoir half writing treatise, but thats because he is Michael Cunningham.
Still Aging Out is a good read if you have interest in expanding what you know about "the golden years" and it's optional paths for survival.
Still Aging Out is a good read if you have interest in expanding what you know about "the golden years" and it's optional paths for survival.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of Aging Out. A clear-eyed overview of aging in America and how far we still have to go. The author blends personal stories with sharp reporting to paint a full landscape of the crisis.
July 9, 2026
The writing and voice is literally exceptional, I just think the subject was too expansive for my preference. To explore aging was broad, and so ideas and stories mingled and swam together in a really beautiful way. It was like reading someone’s (perfectly executed) diary.
August 9, 2026
This book was more about the author’s banal millennial angst and issues than anything approaching insight into aging America. And I didn’t find her uniquely interesting to be reading about. How disappointing.
August 29, 2026
A random tale about either aging or being lonely or nursing homes. From someone so young learning about Medicare plans seems misplaced. I kept hoping to gain some knowledge other than the writer is analyzing her own future old age.
July 29, 2026
Audio.
August 3, 2026
girl we get it we all get old
started-to-be-finished-later
August 5, 2026Why is, there so many, commas, in this book, it drove me crazy
DNF before I could even be invested
DNF before I could even be invested
August 11, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 14, 2026
Like with so many non-fiction reads, the author chose to write more about herself than the actual topic.
August 24, 2026
Long and a struggle to finish. Some good points about aging with its loneliness and its different experiences based on finances but in general this book was very long winded and rambling.
August 28, 2026
Commodifying age and isolating elders
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