Into the House of Old

Spanning the period from the 1890s to the 1960s Into the House of Old details the lives and survival strategies of elderly people as they struggle to remain independent. Megan Davies opens the door to the institutional world of the old age home, demonstrating how the legacy of the poor law and the demands of the emerging welfare state worked together to shape residential care facilities for seniors. She looks at the experiences of elderly people on B.C.'s economic and social margins both before and after the advent of old age pensions, analysing the myriad strategies used by the elderly poor to stay out of institutions and the role of family, community, and state support in this process.