Tradeoffs How New York Times Columnist Paula Span Navigates ‘The New Old Age’
Oct 16, 2025
Paula Span, a seasoned journalist and The New Old Age columnist for the New York Times, shares her insights on aging and healthcare choices. She discusses how her column evolved from caregiving to encompass broader topics like policy and relationships. Span highlights a Stanford study on the trade-offs of dialysis, emphasizing quality of life. She also offers advice for older patients to advocate for themselves and questions trends in medical interventions. With a focus on improving aging policies, Paula aims to inform and inspire change for a healthier future.
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The New Old Age Is Different
- Increased longevity and the baby-boom cohort created a 'new old age' with different needs and choices.
- Paula Span broadened the column to cover policy, housing, work, and relationships for older adults.
Own Being Older And Ask Questions
- Ask questions and own your status as an older person rather than avoiding the label.
- Paula Span urges readers to acknowledge aging and focus on choices that make aging acceptable, not dreaded.
Dialysis Tradeoffs Are Smaller Than Expected
- Dialysis offers a modest survival benefit but can impose heavy time and quality-of-life costs.
- Span emphasizes that alternative symptom-focused care can yield similar survival with better daily life for some patients.