Understanding Communication and Aging is the most accessible introductory text in the area of communication and aging. The book examines key topics such as interpersonal and family relationships in old age, media portrayals of aging, cultural variations in intergenerational communication, and health communication in old age. With a lively presentation style, the book presents central research findings in the area while engaging students more broadly in the important questions concerning communication and human aging: Why do some people age more successfully than others? What role does communication play in shaping our attitudes and feelings about getting older? Are there different or better ways in which we could get old? Students will emerge with a greater understanding of communication and aging research, and with a greater interest and sensitivity to the ways in which communication is shaped by, and itself influences, the aging process.