I have been working with older adults and their families for nearly twenty years. Therefore, much of my understanding about aging came from this experience, as well as my own personal experiences with family members. This program has truly married my practical knowledge with theoretical knowledge. I have been able to examine the current research and create a body of work that supports my understanding of the important issues facing society with regard to aging.
Recently, I came across this poem that I think articulates the uniqueness of older adults:
I am not old…she said I am rare. I am the standing ovation At the end of the play. I am the retrospective Of my life as art I am the hours Connected like dots Into good sense I am the fullness Of existing. You think I am waiting to die… But I am waiting to be found I am a treasure. I am a map. And these wrinkles are Imprints of my journey Ask me anything.
As we begin the 21st century, the average life expectancy is nearly 80 years old. Aging has become a topic on the forefront of the minds of policymakers and experts in fields from health care to economics. The “gray tidal wave”, as it is called, is impending and its implications are looming. One aspect of concern is how to grow old and maintain health. Healthy aging, on a personal level, is necessary for maintaining a high quality of life in later years.
On a societal level, healthy aging is viewed as imperative for sustaining the systems and supports needed to care for an aging population. So, how does one achieve healthy aging? Given common stereotypes, healthy aging may seem like an oxymoron. As it stands, healthy aging is difficult to define.
It is commonly accepted that people are more prone to disease as they grow older. However, age is not necessarily the cause disease nor is disease inevitable in old age (McMurdo, 2000). The crucial distinction between the effects of age alone and the effects of disease do need to be reinforced in the minds of both the public and health professionals (McMurdo, 2000). Being healthy in older age may take the form of a life without disease, or a life with a disease that is under management. The ability to care for oneself and perform activities of daily living is an important measure of healthy aging.
While lifestyle choices are definitely important components in our overall health, they are not the only determinants related to health in the aging process. I believe the overemphasis on the individual’s ability to control health outcomes contributes to the negative view of older people who are living with disease or disability. Research has shown that the chance of disease increases as we age. It would appear that all the marathons we run, and apples we eat, can’t change that.
Some social groups have face greater challenges than others when it comes to aging. In the course, Diversity in Aging, I prepared a paper that discussed the challenges facing the aging LGBT community. The field of gerontology has been slow to recognize the diversity of the aging population in terms of sexual orientation and gender identity (Kimmel, 2014). If the present body of literature is any indication, the lack of research on LGBT aging illustrates the true complexity of the issues facing the LGBT community. This lack of research on LGBT aging is evidence that we know very little about the way LGBT individuals experience aging. However, there is a glimmer of hope that more attention will be paid to the aging of the LGBT community, as they have been recently included in the national health priorities by the Department of Health and Human Services as a distinctive segment of the population (Fredrikson-Goldsen et al., 2015).
Why do some elders thrive in later years, while others seem to struggle? Although it may seem relatively simple concept, resilience is a difficult term to define (Windle, 2010). As Lavretsky (2014) notes, resilience is “a multifaceted and intricate concept” (p. 2). Within the context of aging, resilience has been defined as “the ability to adapt or ‘bounce back’ following adversity and challenge and connotes inner strength, competence, optimism, flexibility, and the ability to cope effectively when faced with adversity” (Wagnild & Collins, 2009, p. 29). The concept of resilience in aging needs be examined alongside “an unlimited complex of interacting biological, psychological, and environmental variables” and “within the context of life-span development” (Lavretsky, 2014, p.2).
As Ramsey (2012) notes, resilience should be viewed as both a process and an outcome because a person’s ability to cope under adverse circumstances is partly a result of the experience of living through difficult experiences throughout his or her lifetime. Resilience is defined as “a dynamic characteristic of the interaction between individuals and their environments” (Lavretsky, 2014, p. 142). Human aging is also a dynamic process, with losses often occurring from time to time over a long period of years and in many different contexts. Therefore, as Ramsey (2012) recommends, the definition of resilience must include “temporal and spatial dimensions” (p. 132). Further, as diverse populations are studied through “multiple cosmological lenses,” researchers are coalescing around the idea that “a rigorous definition of resilience is multi-level, process-focused, evidence-based, context-respectful, and spirituality-inclusive” (O’Grady, Orton, White, & Snyder, 2016 p. 166).
Older adults often rely on their families for support. However, the role of families’ responsibilities in the care of their loved ones is complex. The family structure has changed over the last several decades. With the decline in fertility, families are smaller. Older adults have fewer children to rely on for care in later years. Also, families are spread out geographically making hands on care more difficult. In addition, the economic downtown in the last decade has depleted the resources available for financial supporting aging loved ones. I worry that many caregivers are putting their own fiscal well being in jeopardy by assuming the financial responsibility of others, not to mention the toll caregiving takes on emotional and physical well being due to ongoing intensive caregiving responsibilities.
The responsibility of caregiving has become one of the most import issues for many societies to address in the 21st century. While it is true that individuals are living longer, they are often living with chronic conditions that require some level of assistance. This is especially true in ethnic and minority populations (Mehrotra & Wagner, 2009). Tradition has dictated that families were responsible for the care of their members. However, caring for a family member can be demanding and often competes with other responsibilities, such as caring for children or having a job.
The changing complexion of family caregiving over the last several decades has given rise to a new social reality. As more individuals have become unable to provide care for an aging loved one, no matter what the reason; whether it be because of distance, competing time constraints, or the inability to provide adequate care; there has been a rise in the need for formal care. The support provided by formal care providers, such as nursing homes, and senior centers, help to supplement the informal care of family members.
References:
Fredriksen-Goldsen, K. I. (2011). Resilience and disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults. The Public policy and aging report, 21(3), 3.
Kimmel, D. (2014). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender aging concerns. Clinical Gerontologist, 37(1), 49-63.
Lavretsky, H. (2014). Resilience and aging: Research and practice. Baltimore, MD: JHU Press.
McMurdo, M.E. (2000). A healthy old age: realistic or futile goal? BMJ: British Medical Journal, 321(7269), 1149.
O'Grady, K. A., Orton, J. D., White, K., & Snyder, N. (2016). A way forward for spirituality, resilience, and international social science. Journal Of Psychology & Theology, 44(2), 166-172.
Ramsey, J. L. (2012). Spirituality and aging: Cognitive, affective, and relational pathways to resiliency. In Hayslip, Jr. B. and Smith, G.C. (Eds.) Annual review of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 131-150.
Windle, G. (2011). What is resilience? A review and concept analysis. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 21(02), 152-169.