Myths of Aging

In addition, the article cites Rebecca Levy with being the one researcher who has devoted more time to the aging. An experiment she did in the 1990’s showed through a series of subliminal

The first individual response was, “It means to me how you take care of yourself by exercising, eating healthy, and getting enough sleep. “Being sixty-six years old and still being able to play with my grandchildren,” is the second interviewee’s response. The last individual’s response was, “It depends on how you take care of yourself when you are younger that will affect successful aging.”

The humanity of aging is a concept sometimes hard to grasp. Understanding why we are

The definition of “successful aging” excludes too many people for it to be applicable. The video, “Many Faces to Aging in Americas,” represents the diversity in how people age in our society (Many Faces of Aging in America, 2008). The concept “successful aging” needs to include the whole person: mind, body, and spirit in order to be inclusive of all the dimensions in

It is not easy to come up with a working definition of aging; different academics around the world defined ‘aging’ from different perspectives. Based on the collected information I have, I define aging –a multidimensional process of physiological, mental and social changes that occurred over the course of life. Though it is beyond human control, aging experiences may vary between individuals. “In the developed world, chronological time plays a paramount role. The age of 60 or 65, roughly equivalent to retirement ages in most developed countries is said to be the beginning of old age. In many parts of the developing world, chronological time has little or no importance in the meaning of old age. Other socially constructed meanings of age are more significant such as the roles assigned to older people; in some cases it is the loss of roles accompanying physical decline which is significant in defining old age. Thus, in contrast to the chronological milestones which mark life stages in the developed world, old age in many developing countries is seen to begin at the point when active contribution is no longer possible." (Gorman, 2000)

Knowing how to age successfully rather than searching for youth should be the key. According to Dan Buethner (2008), ageing only has an accelerator pedal and most American’s are pushing it too hard and too much!. Health and longevity are the key to living a progressive life and optimizing

A quick Google search for common myth about aging will yield about 12,000,000 results. The magnitude of the number leads you to believe that, as a society, we are completely disillusioned by the process of getting older. We are assume, as a society that as you age your brain shrinks, you will be cranky and unhappy, dementia, weight gain, muscle loss and loneliness are unavoidable. The picture painted by these myths is ugly and possibly reinforce the idolization of youth and beauty in American culture. No one want to volunteer for the possess of getting old if it is so stigmatize, let’s face it no one wants to turn into the grumpy, old, deaf blind, intelligent oaf that is described by the media.

When most people think of aging, the only thing that comes to mind is frail, weakly and wrinkled. In fact, a lot of people associate aging with disease prevalence. These myths and stereotypes about aging have been brought about by the media, jokes we hear and even the films we watch. Some of these you hear are blown out of proportion and exaggerated.

Older adult (age 70-100 or older): “That is a tough question to speak for everyone, but for me I do think old age is a wonderful time. We have already seen and lived it all, and now we can basically do whatever we want. We do not have to worry about anything else but being happy. I get to sit home, volunteer, and do the things that I love.”

Ory and her colleagues then introduce the topic of aging and stereotypes to their readers. They discuss the different types of ageism and compare ageism to sexism and racism. The stereotypes about older people being useless, crazy, or sick are discussed more and refuted in the Macarthur Foundation Study on Successful Aging, Rowe and Kahn. The pair discusses 6 myths of aging, which range from the elderly constantly being sick, learning impaired, to having a dull sex life. The pair then discusses the reality of the previously listed myths. Contrary to the “To be old is to be sick” myth, Rowe and Khan explain that the elderly are able to function and complete everyday tasks until they are very old (Ory, 165). They then explain how it is, in fact possible to “Teach an old dog new tricks” because the human brain never stops learning, this myth goes hand in hand with “The horse is out of the barn” myth, which also explains how the elderly can learn and adopt new behaviors easily. Myth number 4 “The secret to successful aging is to choose your parents wisely” is one of the most ridiculous. Rowe and Kahn explain that a person’s health is not all determined by genetics. Although genetics has a part in determining a person’s characteristics, a person can change their characteristics through the use of epigenetics, by adopting healthy lifestyles and behaviors. Rowe and Kahn they go on to explain sexual functioning through the myth “The lights may be on, but the

The process of aging and becoming an elder has almost been a right of passages for eons. In many cultures, mostly outside the United States aging and older adults are a cherish part of society, and are given the utmost respect. Over recent years, this respect and praise that s given in many cultures does not necessarily hold true in modern society in the United States.

A couple of days ago, I was astonished when I saw on the news that a 94-year-old great grandmother graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a 4.0 grade point average. As some of you may know from my introduction post, I am in Vietnam right now, and for such a story to make headlines all the way over here is truly inspirational. Regardless of cultural differences, we do not typically imagine seeing elderly people, such as Amy Craton, attending college much less earning a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English. She is the epitome of redefining what aging means. As the first chapter mentions, aging is not a single process, and that it consists of three distinctive process. The later of these two processes include dementia

One might say that it is impossible to define successful aging in one word. This is because there are numerous components to an enhanced quality of life that leads to successful aging. Individuals who age successfully are healthy, energetic people who lead active lives. More specifically, by staying healthy, fit, and engaged with life, these people grow old to contribute to society, which enables them to remain socially involved with other people creating a life filled with utmost satisfaction. Unfortunately, when one nears the age of 30, their physical and mental capabilities begin to decline. However, luckily, this process can be detained. In the book “Successful Aging,”

The Aging Quiz, by Linda M. Woolf, Ph.D., Webster University is a 25 statement, true or false test, declaring common beliefs held by most United States individuals. First impressions of the quiz revealed many statements were obviously stereotypical in nature. On further inspection, I noticed the date of the publication was 1977 and 1980. My speculation is these misconceptions of seniors may have evolved in the last several decades. With that said, I did find the explanation of the answers informative. There were no substantial surprises in the answers, two of three wrong answers concerned physical aspects, and one could be deemed as social/physiological and I believe I did well on the quiz.

In this paper, aging will be analyzed and evaluated by many topics that are involved in the aging process. J.S. is an elderly woman with information and insight about the aging process as she explains her own life experiences. The topics to be discussed are biological information, biological theory, sociological theory, risk factors, interventions, communication techniques, and self-reflection. The analysis and evaluation of J.S.’s aging process will explore the physical and cognitive values of elders in the modern era.