Part I Some Key Issues on the Fourth Age -- 1. Introduction: Sense of Purpose, Active Ageing and Age Discrimination -- 2. Ageism: The Need for New Imagery for Growing Old -- 3. Very Old Age in a Rural Context: Findings from the Faroe Islands -- 4. Oldest Old Adults and Mobility: Accessible, Safe, and Affordable Transportation -- 5. Diana Athill: Unapologetic Ageing and Daring Love for Life -- Part II Being Involved and Active at a Very Old Age -- 6. “To be Productive for as Long as I Live.” Art and Cultural Activities After Eighty -- 7. Dancing until the End of Time: Emotions and Interactions among Swedish Social Dancers Aged 80 and Above -- 8. Active Ageing and Older Persons Living with Dementia: A Shared Reading Intervention -- 9. Firms’ Owners, Aged 80-Plus, in Sweden in the Early 2000s -- 10. The Oldest Old as Voluntary Workers -- 11. Conclusion: Proud to Be an Oldest Old Adult.

This edited volume proposes a radical change in perspective, fighting the prevalent ageist culture that tends to relegate the oldest old to isolation and irrelevance. The chapters show that having plans and projects, being involved in life, is possible for those aged 80 and over, as well as for oldest old people with disabilities. Exploring the involvement of oldest old people in various activities that make them feel happy, worthy, and connected, this volume builds on a large empirical literature documenting that a sense of purpose in life is associated with delayed mortality and reduced health risks. In doing so, this book aims to combat widespread ageist attitudes at an interactional and institutional level, and shift the focus from loss and decay to adaptability, involvement, inner strength, and resilience. It illuminates how oldest old people are inventing new meanings for ageing.