The elderly in the United States are better off today financially and physically than ever before. Many of them have strong financial assets and medical care packages that will take care of most any health need. But, as we have seen, a significant segment is impoverished, faced with the prospect of declining health and mounting medical bills. And some older people many now to add being aged to a lifetime of discrimination. As in all other stages of the life course, the aged constitute a diverse group in the United States and around the world.