ABSTRACT
There is no doubt that as we approach the year 2000, diversity is the hallmark of our aging society. It will not come as a shock to any informed observer that a population of 30 million persons age 65-plus is very heterogeneous. But this very diversity is a challenge as well as an asset. It is no longer scientifically sufficient or politically acceptable to simply note that the older population includes people of different ethnicities, economic and social classes, or health statuses.
