Ruth Finkelstein, Executive Director of the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging at Hunter College, challenges how we understand aging, health disparities, and inequality. She argues that traditional data leaves out crucial questions—like how families support each other, how people navigate life after incarceration, and what lived experiences actually shape aging outcomes. Drawing from her work with older adults and formerly incarcerated people, Finkelstein advocates for research that begins with listening, values qualitative insight, and is grounded in trust. Her work reveals how structural gaps in income, healthcare, and housing—not just age—define the realities of aging in America.
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