[ad_1]
By Marcia G. Ory, A & M University of Texas; Basia Belza, University of Washington; and Matthew Lee Smith, Texas A & M University
The fountain of youth may still be a myth, but a longer life expectancy is now a reality. In fact, life expectancy at birth in the United States has increased over 30 years in just over a hundred years to 78.6 years.
But with the increase in life expectancy, one question arises: how do people stay healthy as they get older? A new concept of healthy aging has emerged. In fact, some are using a new word for aging baby boomers – "perennials" – to describe people who want to live an active and fulfilling life up to an advanced age.
What is healthy aging? As members of the Healthy Aging Research Network, we looked for factors that affect the lifespan of Americans, how to stay as healthy as possible, and how best to make years older. long quality. By adopting a holistic vision, we defined healthy aging as "the development and maintenance of optimal physical, mental (cognitive and emotional), spiritual, and social well-being and functioning in adults". older".
But achieving that goal is quite different.
Demographic changes,
changing views
We now know many factors that influence healthy aging – the genetic makeup, cell biology, behaviors, personal insights on aging, social engagement and the environment – and the l? the importance of considering aging as the culmination of all these factors. Despite the accumulation of chronic diseases such as arthritis, dementia, heart disease, diabetes or cancer, aging is not a "disease" but rather an ongoing process that occurs from birth to death . Social and behavioral determinants are often stronger predictors of premature death than biology or health care.
However, there are fundamental questions about what aging means in the United States and abroad. This is important to consider because stereotypical ideas about aging can be health risks because research has shown that the negative perception of aging can reduce life by 7.5 years.
In the early 1900s, life expectancy at birth in the United States was less than 50 years and only a very small percentage of Americans lived up to the age of 65 .
As a result, people did not expect to live until old age and the concept of healthy aging was unthinkable. Few people, including seniors, health professionals or policy makers, could imagine the costs of aging and chronic diseases to individuals and society.
Now, aging is a global phenomenon with 962 million people aged 60 and over in the world, including about 78 million North Americans. With an average life expectancy of around 80 years and the possibility of living up to 125 years on the horizon, we are more interested in the factors and consequences of life in the 80's, 90's, 100 and over.
The aging of the population, the elderly representing a growing share of the population, is becoming the "new standard" around the world. This has the effect of demystifying certain stereotypes about the aging of the planet as a phenomenon that occurs only in the most developed countries. Although Japan and European countries have the highest percentages of older people, population aging rates are actually higher in many developing regions such as Asia, Africa and Latin America. . With globalization and rapid urbanization, families are often more mobile, social support networks are collapsing, health systems are inadequate, and older people are often left in isolated villages for their own health. take care of them.
On the positive side, we in the United States can learn how some countries are coping with aging and age-related conditions by considering holistic community approaches such as dementia-friendly communities.
Creeping Ageism
Despite the growing proportion of older people in our society, many people still have stereotypical ideas about aging and view older people as less capable. Often, the images they hold describe aging as synonymous with fragility, loneliness and poverty.
Similarly, depictions of over-aging, such as 90-year-olds running marathons, reflect extreme cases that are not necessarily true for most 80, 90 or 100-year-olds. Healthy aging does not mean that everyone has to be at their best in all dimensions. on the contrary, it means that everyone should live a full life.
Above all, it is important to fight against ageism in all its forms, which requires a change of thinking and politics to move away from the negative stereotypes of aging.
Recognizing that aging is a societal and individual concern, it is important to identify concrete actions at all levels that can make a difference.
For large-scale change, we believe that many sectors – aging services, public health and health care – and policy makers, health professionals, families and seniors can take action. We believe that more public support is needed to allow the growing number of perennials to participate in the well-documented keys to healthy aging. These include a positive attitude towards aging, physical activity, access to healthy foods, social relationships and safe communities.
To this end, several advocacy groups have come together to create a campaign to "reframe" or "disrupt" aging – highlighting its positive aspects, but also recognizing the realities of some of the changes in age, such as the decline of sensory abilities and chronic aging. conditions.
A crucial factor is to rethink the role of older people in society and to have meaningful roles throughout life, whether paid or unpaid. We need to fight against aging ideas that prevent older workers from keeping good paying jobs or finding new ones if they become unemployed. As researchers, we have found the positive impact of evidence-based programs in chronic disease self-management, physical activity, fall prevention, and stroke improvement. lifestyle, to promote health and autonomy.
The challenge is not
by going there
By 2050, there will be more than 2 billion seniors in the world. By 2035, there will be more adults 65 years and older than children under 18 in the United States. This unprecedented transformation can result in dark projections. Although these numbers are changing the game, the aging of the population does not have to be fate.
These projections can also serve as a catalyst for action to create a society that values older people, promotes supportive social and physical environments for healthy aging, encourages intergenerational differences in intergenerational conflict, and encourages older adults to take charge of their own health. However, this requires a commitment to programs and services that help seniors maintain their health and function.
We want to imagine a world where intimate relationships would be perceived as natural at any age. Most falls are preventable, technology is ubiquitous for prolonging the health and well-being of seniors. More importantly, we think that it is better for society as a whole that perennials actually retain dynamic and productive roles, at home, in the community or at work.
The Conversation is an independent, non-profit source of information, analysis and commentary from academic experts.
[ad_2]
Source link
