Successful Aging: A Debate Analysis

Maryalice Kozar-Westman, Meredith Troutman-Jordan and Mary A. Nies (2013) investigated the suitability of using the Successful Aging Inventory in an effort to describe successful aging among older adults currently living in assisted living community. Their findings showed that among the differences were those influenced by gender, with females tending to score higher on successful aging.

Our culture likes to ignore that everyone has sex for pleasure in some form or fashion. Created and preached has been a hard-fast narrative that sex only equals intercourse, and intercourse is only reserved for procreation or for the enjoyment of the young and beautiful, which very quickly begins to limit our understanding of the needs of those not using or falling into these realms, young or old. Consider that the young will age, the beauty will fade and procreation not forever possible. Things we cannot control will happen physically, causing our bodies to not be able to operate in ways that we once enjoyed, but that should not make us abstinent against our will. While some natural physical

Mrs Ann Smith is a seventy nine year old woman and she has several problems regarding her health and well-being in her elderly age. Many policies and legislation ensure the safety and well-being of the elderly such as Mrs Smith. Legislation and policies safeguard the elderly including Mrs Smith to receive the fair treatment of care and to stop discrimination and exclusion. Discrimination and exclusion is still prevalent today and within contemporary society the ageing population is rising, discrimination and exclusion could increase if it is not appropriately tackled by contemporary society today. There are numerous theories of ageing, some theories are disengagement theory, and the activity theory and these theories have developed key concepts and the effects of ageing on individuals and contemporary society today.

Ninety six percent of people sixty-five and older are nonmovers (Quadagno, 2014, p.203) yet the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) follows seven individuals who are seeking a place that can accommodate their elderly needs. Despite this being a fictional film, the text Aging and the Life Course: An Introduction to Social Gerontology (Quadagno, 201) can support the ways in which the film accurately depicts various obstacles associated with aging. Each of the characters in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel overcome ageist social constructions present within western culture but represent that there can still be hope in old age.

I have never heard the phrase “successful aging” before reading these articles. In, Successful Aging: Perceptions of Adults Aged Between 70 and 100 Years, I appreciated the author’s clarification of aging success as individualized. In society we tend to want to “pidgeon-hole” everyone into neat, defined categories this portrays the value of diversity. Their participants reporting that they “selected activities that best suited their capabilities” and how over time they “compensated for losses” (Knight & Ricciardelli, 2003). This reveals a generation that seems to make more thoughtful, pragmatic decisions based on their individual capabilities. They have learned to craft their lives to their needs. The study also revealed that seniors may score

For this week of the course, the assigned article for this assignment is titled "Good genes are nice, but joy is better". This article is the second in a series on how Harvard University is studying the issues of aging. The author of the article is Liz Meneo, a Harvard staff writer. The original date of this article is 11 Apr 17, and it can be accessed at: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/

The term “aging out” typically refers to children who are in the foster care system. Children that are beginning to reach the age of eighteen, twenty-one or are graduating from high school that have not found a permanent home tend to age out of the foster system. Several states have different ages at which children age out of the system. By aging out the system believes that these individuals are ready to go out on their own. Once many children reach a particular age it is less likely for them to be adopted, there for they continue to move from one foster home to another. Children that age out of the system stand a lower chance of not graduating high school, or going to college.

Rowe and Kahn’s model of successful aging includes the lack of disease or disability, preservation of mental

In 1990, there were 31.2 million people over the age of 65. (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000). There were 35 million people over 65 in the United States in 2000. This represents a 12 percent increase in only 10 years. The population of people over 65 years of age for 2007 reached 38 million people. With the baby boomers now in the category of 65 and over. The “boomer generation” will continue to swell the proportion of Americans over age 65 from now through the year 2050 at which time the older population will then begin to shrink (Longino & Bradley, 2005).

It is a medically proven fact that after a certain age, usually in our middle years, physical and cognitive health will start declining. Our bodies simply begin shutting down when we reach a certain age, regardless of how well we have taken care of them. For some, old age is synonymous with dread and foreboding. For others, it is only a number representing another phase of life and it should be enjoyed thoroughly. This prescription for successfully aging is applicable to both the individual aging as well as those who interact with elderly individuals. Every person will have their own definition of what it means to successfully age. Theories of successful aging developed over the years attempt to explain what it means to successfully age.

When you think of the term senior citizen what comes to mind? Do the words disabled and old come to mind, or do you visualize wisdom and patience? The word old is looked upon in todays society as a “dirty” word. Yet we will all be old someday. Ageism-the discrimination according to a persons age is a known stereotype just as racial, or religious discrimination. We must end this way of thinking soon or else our elders will feel unwelcome in their jobs and in their communities.

Ageing is traditionally viewed with negative impressions, and it is typical of society to stereotype older people. Even in the field of science, ageing is considered a negative development. A common view of ageing among academics, psychologists and medical physicians about ageing, is that it is associated with loss or deteriorating cognitive ability. This in itself is discriminating and a form of social stigma and stereotyping against older people (Lupien and Wan, 2004). For some cultures, ageing is a blessing and the older people are revered and honoured, for others, ageing is more or less a curse, a burden and a reason for stereotyping, stigma and discrimination.

Ageing in humans refers to various changes that include physical, psychological change. Some of the dimensions of ageing might grow and expand over time while others decline. Ageing introduces some psychological and physical changes in people, studies have shown that mental abilities decline with age in fact research has proved that short term memory declines with age. As people grow older their declarative memory for episodic events and experiences also declines remarkably. The older people face more difficulties when it comes to tasks that require the conscious or declarative retrieval of particular events. Apart from memory, ageing also impacts people's language and reading g skills. Their vision also weakens that affects their ability to read (questia, 2012) .There are various theories that can be associated with aging this are both biological and non biological theories. Among the non biological theories are disengagement theory that brings forth the idea that the separation of the older people from an active role in the society is normal and appropriate and has benefits to both the society and older individuals. Another theory the activity theory

Successful aging can be defined in many different ways. Throughout the semester we have talked about many different aspects of aging that help define the success within the process. We have discussed the neurosciences of aging, the physical changes associated with aging, the longevity and intelligence of individuals in relation to their life and abilities while aging, how relationships and work can change as one ages, and how aging affects ones personality. After reading Childhood Misfortune as a Threat to Successful Aging: Avoiding Disease and Successful Aging and Well-Being: Self-Rated Compared With Rowe and Kahn, I have a better understanding of the objective and subjective view of aging in relation to childhood factors.

Normal aging brings about inevitable and irreversible changes. These normal aging changes are partially responsible for the increased risk of developing health-related problems within the elderly population. I associated being "old" with decline, disability, disease and death. However, reflecting on realities of ageing and my grandfather's health, I realized that ageing does not imply only declining health, but it is also associated with wellness. My grandfather is 88 years old. I had always been lucky to have my grandparents healthy. However, this changed about 10 years ago when my grandfather had a heart problem and had to get coronary angioplasty, which caused him to require extra care from my grandmother and family.