Aging: a body of resistance

The present paper explores the language of aging used, often unthinkingly, by nurses and policy makers. Terms so often used when describing aging, such as "frailty" and "dependence", are used in a way that implies a common knowledge, a point of convergence. It will be argued, using data gathered from research, that these terms often are a point of departure and that they may not signify a common understanding at all. From a postmodern perspective, it will be argued that it is at this point that common knowledge comes up against corporeal or embodied knowledge. In conclusion, the author will argue for a clinical encounter in which intersubjective meanings can be elucidated.