The Experience of Aging, Part II - The Myths of Aging
Stereotypes abound about the aging process and the experience of older adults. I thought I would share some of them and provide the counterpoint of reality.
Myth 1: To be old means to be ill.
Rates of chronic illness and disability actually do increase with chronological age. However, even with functional deficits many older adults are still able to live independently in their own homes until they reach a very advanced age. Those that do not, still maintain a high degree of independence in care facilities. Despite limitations on activity, older people adapt in many ways, for example, by relying on a cane or walker or by using a hearing aid.
Myth 2: Older people have diminished cognitive abilities and cannot learn.
It has been said that older adults lose millions of brain cells each day. However, neurobiology has shown that the human brain actually retains a high degree of functionality and the ability to learn new things even into advanced age. This means older people can make changes that will improve their lives. There is significant data showing how changes in health behavior have delayed disability and diminished the need for long-term care. We must continually provide cognitive stimulation and new information that will assist older adults in making informed decisions in later life.
Myth 3: Successful aging is based on heredity.
The Human Genome Project and other advances in genetics have clarified the role of genetics as an influence on aging and health and it is becoming clearer that genetic factors actually play a smaller role in old age than they do earlier in life. In fact, it is not genetics but social and behavioral factors within our control that play the largest role shaping health and well-being. As aging adults learn this, they are able to focus on health promotion behaviors that will improve quality and duration of health and life.
Myth 4: It is too late for the elderly person to make changes.
We now understand that adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors can provide a positive return even into old age. Quitting smoking allows human lung function to approach normal after only a few years, even for those who quit smoking in middle age or later. Implementing an exercise regime has been shown to increase muscle mass and bone density well into old age and improved eating habits have been shown to reverse or ameliorate certain medical conditions.
Myth 5: The elderly do not have much to offer society.
More and more older people are attracted by what is called "productive aging," whether by extending years of paid employment or by engaging in productive roles in their families and communities. If older people are allowed to believe they have little to contribute, they may overlook ways in which their expertise and life experience can be useful to others. As education levels rise, physical health remains more robust into the senior years, and guaranteed pension income becomes more uncertain, it is likely that many more older people will continue to work well beyond what been normal retirement age.