Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing
the life expectancy of human beings, and thus
the end of the human life cycle. Euphemisms
and terms for old people include, old people,
seniors, senior citizens, older adults, the
elderly, and elders.
Old people often have limited regenerative
abilities and are more prone to disease, syndromes,
and sickness than younger adults. The organic
process of ageing is called senescence, the
medical study of the aging process is gerontology,
and the study of diseases that afflict the
elderly is geriatrics. The elderly also face
other social issues such as retirement, loneliness,
and ageism.
The chronological age denoted as "old age"
varies culturally and historically. Thus,
old age is "a social construct" rather than
a definite "biological stage".
Definitions
Definitions of old age include official definitions,
popular definitions, sub-group definitions,
and four dimensions as follows.
Official definitions
Old age comprises "the later part of life;
the period of life after youth and middle
age . . . , usually with reference to deterioration"
In the 4th century BC, Plato divided the human
lifespan into six phases, the last two constituting
"Old Age" and "Advanced Age". The last phase,
he noted, "is one that, fortunately, few attain."
When old age begins cannot be universally
defined because it shifts according to the
context. The United Nations has agreed that
60+ years may be usually denoted as old age,
and this is the first attempt at an international
definition of old age. However, for its study
of old age in Africa, the World Health Organization
set 50 as the beginning of old age. At the
same time, the WHO recognized that the developing
world often defines old age, not by years,
but by new roles, loss of previous roles,
or inability to make active contribution to
society.
Most developed Western countries set the age
of 60 to 65 for retirement and old-age social
programs eligibility. However, various countries
and societies reckon the onset of old age
as anywhere from the mid-40s to the 70s. Furthermore,
the fact that life expectancy beyond 80 has
become widespread has shifted definitions
of old age.
Popular definitions
A Pew Research Center study of 2,929 Americans,
age 18+, found that they hold very different
definitions of old age. Respondents under
30 said that old age begins at 60, but respondents
65+ said 74.
Most Britons define old age as starting at
59 according to a survey of 2,200 people in
the UK. The under 25s reckon 54 as the beginning
of old age. The 80+ define old age as starting
at 68. Another survey concluded that most
Britons define the onset of old age as almost
70. Europeans on average set the start of
old age at 62.
Sub-group definitions
Gerontologists have recognized the very different
conditions that people experience as they
grow older within the years defined as old
age. In developed countries, most people in
their 60s and early 70s are still fit, active,
and able to care for themselves. However,
after 75, they will become increasingly frail,
a condition marked by serious mental and physical
debilitation.
Therefore, rather than lumping together all
people who have been defined as old, some
gerontologists have recognized the diversity
of old age by defining sub-groups. One study
distinguishes the young old, the middle old,
and the very old. Another study’s sub-grouping
is young-old, middle-old, and oldest-old.
A third sub-grouping is “young old”, “old”,
and "old-old". Delineating sub-groups in the
65+ population enables a more accurate portrayal
of significant life changes.
Four dimensions
Old age comprises the four dimensions: chronological,
biological, psychological, and social. Chronological
age may differ considerably from a person’s
functional age. The distinguishing marks of
old age normally occur in all five senses
at different times and different rates for
different persons. In addition to chronological
age, people can be considered old because
of the other three dimensions of old age.
For example, people may be considered old
when they become grandparents or when they
begin to do less or different work in retirement.
Marks of old age
The distinguishing marks associated with old
age comprise both physical and mental characteristics.
The marks of old age are so unlike the marks
of middle age that it has been suggested that,
as an individual transitions into old age,
he/she might well be thought of as different
persons “time-sharing” the same identity.
These marks do not occur at the same chronological
age for everyone. Also, they occur at different
rates and order for different people. Because
each person is unique, marks of old age vary
between people, even those of the same chronological
age.
A basic mark of old age that affects both
body and mind is “slowness of behavior.”
This “slowing down principle” finds a
correlation between advancing age and slowness
of reaction and task performance, both physical
and mental.
Physical marks of old age
Physical marks of old age include the following:
Bone and joint. Old bones are marked by “thinning
and shrinkage.” This results in a loss of
height, a stooping posture in many people,
and a greater susceptibility to bone and joint
diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.
Chronic diseases. Most older persons have
at least one chronic condition and many have
multiple conditions. In 2007-2009, the most
frequently occurring conditions among older
persons in the United States were uncontrolled
hypertension, diagnosed arthritis, and heart
disease.
Dental problems. Less saliva and less ability
for oral hygiene in old age increases the
chance of tooth decay and infection.
Digestive system. About 40% of the time, old
age is marked by digestive disorders such
as difficulty in swallowing, inability to
eat enough and to absorb nutrition, constipation
and bleeding.
Eyesight. Diminished eyesight makes it more
difficult to read in low lighting and in smaller
print. Speed with which an individual reads
and the ability to locate objects may also
be impaired.
Falls. Old age spells risk for injury from
falls that might not cause injury to a younger
person. Every year, about one-third of those
65 years old and over half of those 80 years
old fall. Falls are the leading cause of injury
and death for old people.
Hair usually becomes thinner and grayer.
Hearing. By age 75 and older, 48% of men and
37% of women encounter impairments in hearing.
Of the 26.7 million people over age 50 with
a hearing impairment, only one in seven uses
a hearing aid.
Hearts are less efficient in old age with
a resulting loss of stamina. In addition,
atherosclerosis can constrict blood flow.
Immune function. Less efficient immune function
is a mark of old age.
Lungs expand less well; thus, they provide
less oxygen.
Pain afflicts old people at least 25% of the
time, increasing with age up to 80% for those
in nursing homes. Most pains are rheumatological
or malignant.
Sexual activity decreases significantly with
age, especially after age 60, for both women
and men. Sexual drive in both men and women
decreases as they age.
Skin loses elasticity, becomes drier, and
more lined and wrinkled.
Sleep trouble holds a chronic prevalence of
over 50% in old age and results in daytime
sleepiness. In a study of 9,000 persons with
a mean age of 74, only 12% reported no sleep
complaints. By age 65, deep sleep goes down
to about 5%.
Taste buds diminish so that by age 80 taste
buds are down to 50% of normal. Food becomes
less appealing and nutrition can suffer.
Urinary incontinence is often found in old
age.
Voice. In old age, vocal chords weaken and
vibrate more slowly. This results in a weakened,
breathy voice that is sometimes called an
“old person’s voice.”
Mental marks of old age
Mental marks of old age include the following.
Adaptable describes most people in their old
age. In spite the stressfulness of old age,
they are described as “agreeable” and
“accepting.” However, old age dependence
induces feelings of incompetence and worthlessness
in a minority.
Caution marks old age. This antipathy toward
“risk-taking” stems from the fact that
old people have less to gain and more to lose
by taking risks than younger people.
Depressed mood. According to Cox, Abramson,
Devine, and Hollon, old age is a risk factor
for depression caused by prejudice. When people
are prejudiced against the elderly and then
become old themselves, their anti-elderly
prejudice turns inward, causing depression.
“People with more negative age stereotypes
will likely have higher rates of depression
as they get older.” Old age depression results
in the over-65 population having the highest
suicide rate.
Fear of crime in old age, especially among
the frail, sometimes weighs more heavily than
concerns about finances or health and restricts
what they do. The fear persists in spite of
the fact that old people are victims of crime
less often than younger people.
Mental disorders afflict about 15% of people
aged 60+ according to estimates by the World
Health Organization. Another survey taken
in 15 countries reported that mental disorders
of adults interfered with their daily activities
more than physical problems.
Reduced mental and cognitive ability afflicts
old age. Memory loss is common in old age
due to the decrease in speed of information
being encoded, stored, and received. It takes
more time to learn new information. Dementia
is a general term for memory loss and other
intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere
with daily life. Its prevalence increases
in old age from about 10% at age 65 to about
50% over age 85. Alzheimer's disease accounts
for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Demented
behavior can include wandering, physical aggression,
verbal outbursts, depression, and psychosis.
Set in one’s ways describes a mind set of
old age. A study of over 400 distinguished
men and women in old age found a “preference
for the routine.” Explanations include old
age’s toll on the “fluid intelligence”
and the “more deeply entrenched” ways
of the old.
Perceptions of old age
The literature regarding old age includes
perceptions of old age from a middle-age perspective,
from an old-age perspective, from society’s
perspective, and from a simulated perspective.
Old age from a middle-age perspective
Numerous books by middle-age writers depict
their perceptions of old people. One writer
notices the change in his parents: they move
slowly, they have lost strength, they repeat
stories, their minds wander, and they fret.
Another writer sees her aged parents and is
bewildered: they refuse to follow her advice,
they are obsessed with the past, they avoid
risk, they live at a “glacial pace.”
Other writers treat the perceptions of middle-age
people regarding their own old age. In her
The Denial of Aging, Dr. Muriel R. Gillick,
a baby boomer, accuses her contemporaries
of believing that by proper exercise and diet
they can avoid the scourges of old age and
proceed from middle age to death. Studies
find that many people in the 55-75 range can
postpone morbidity by practicing healthy life
styles. However, at about age 80, all people
experience similar morbidity. Even with healthy
life styles, most 85+ people will undergo
extended “frailty and disability.”
Old age from an old-age perspective
Early old age is a pleasant time: children
are grown, retirement from work, time to pursue
interests. In contrast, perceptions of old
age by writers 80+ years old, “old age in
the real meaning of the term.” tend to be
negative.
Lillian Rubin, active in her 80s as an author,
sociologist, and psychotherapist, opens her
book 60 on Up: The Truth about Aging in America
with “getting old sucks. It always has,
it always will.” Dr. Rubin contrasts the
“real old age” with the “rosy pictures”
painted by middle-age writers.
Writing at the age of 87, Mary C. Morrison
delineates the heroism required by old age:
to live through the disintegration of one’s
own body or that of someone you love. Morrison
concludes, “old age is not for the fainthearted.”
In the book Life Beyond 85 Years, the 150
interviewees had to cope with physical and
mental debilitation and with losses of loved
ones. One interviewee described living in
old age as “pure hell.”
Old age from society’s perspective
Historical periods reveal a mixed picture
of the “position and status” of old people,
but there has never been a “golden age of
aging.” Studies have disproved the popular
belief that in the past old people were venerated
by society and cared for by their families.
Veneration for and antagonism toward the aged
have coexisted in complex relationships throughout
history.
In ancient times, the very few people who
lived beyond 35 physically and mentally healthy,
especially those of social status and wealth,
were treated with “respect and awe.” In
contrast, those who were frail were seen as
a burden and ignored or in extreme cases killed.
People were defined as “old” because of
their inability to perform useful tasks rather
than their years.
In Greek and Roman cultures, old age was denigrated
as a time “decline and decrepitude.”
In the Classical period, “beauty and strength”
were esteemed and old age was viewed as defiling
and ugly. The Medieval and Renaissance periods
depicted old age as “cruel or weak.”
In the Modern period, the “cultural status”
of old people has declined in many cultures.
Research on age attitudes consistently finds
that negative attitudes exceed positive attitudes
toward old people because of their looks and
behavior In his study Aging and Old Age, Posner
discovers “resentment and disdain of older
people” in American society.
Harvard University’s Implicit-association
test measures implicit “attitudes and beliefs”
about Young vis a vis Old. Blind Spot: Hidden
Biases of Good People, a book about the test,
reports that 80% of Americans have an “automatic
preference for the young over old” and that
attitude is true worldwide. The young are
“consistent in their negative attitude”
toward the old. Ageism documents that Americans
generally have “little tolerance for older
persons and very few reservations about harboring
negative attitudes” about them.
In spite of its prevalence, ageism is seldom
the subject of public discourse.
Old age from simulated perspective
Simone de Beauvoir wrote that “there is
one form of experience that belongs only to
those that are old – that of old age itself.”
Nevertheless, simulations of old age attempt
to help younger people gain some understanding.
Texas A&M University offers a plan for a “Aging
Simulation” workshop. The workshop is adapted
from Sensitizing People to the Processes of
Aging. Some of the simulations follow:
Sight: Wearing swimmer’s goggles with black
paper pasted to lens with only a small hole
to simulate tunnel vision,
Hearing: Use ear plugs to dull the sound of
people talking.
Touch: Wearing thick gloves, button a shirt
or buckle a belt.
Dexterity: With tape around several fingers,
unscrew a jar lid.
Mobility and Balance: Carry packages in one
hand while using a walker.
The Macklin Intergenerational Institute conducts
Xtreme Aging workshops, as depicted in the
The New York Times. A condensed version was
presented on NBC’s Today Show and is available
online. One exercise was to lay out 3 sets
of 5 slips of paper. On set #1, write your
5 most enjoyed activities; on set #2, write
your 5 most valued possessions; on set #3,
write your 5 most loved people. Then “lose”
them one by one, trying to feel each loss,
until you have lost them all as happens in
old age.
Old age frailty
Most people in the age range of 60-80, enjoy
rich possibilities for a full life, but the
condition of frailty distinguished by “bodily
failure” and greater dependence becomes
increasingly after that.
Gerontologists note the lack of research regarding
and the difficulty in defining frailty. However,
they add that physicians recognize frailty
when they see it.
A group of geriatricians proposed a general
definition of frailty as “a physical state
of increased vulnerability to stressors that
results from decreased reserves and disregulation
in multiple physiological systems.”
Prevalence of frailty
Frailty is a common condition in later old
age, but different definitions of frailty
produce diverse assessments of prevalence.
One study placed the incidence of frailty
for ages 65+ at 10.7%. Another study placed
the incidence of frailty in age 65+ population
at 22% for women and 15% for men. A Canadian
study illustrated how frailty increases with
age and calculated the prevalence for 65+
as 22.4% and for 85+ as 43.7%.
A worldwide study of “patterns of frailty”
based on data from 20 nations found a consistent
correlation between frailty and age, a higher
frequency among women, and more frailty in
wealthier nations where greater support and
medical care increases longevity.
In Norway, a 20 year longitudinal study of
400 people found that bodily failure and greater
dependence became prevalent in the 80+ years.
The study calls these years the “fourth
age” or “old age in the real meaning of
the term.” Similarly, the “Berlin Aging
Study” rated over-all functionality on four
levels: good, medium, poor, and very poor.
People in their 70s were mostly rated good.
In the 80-90 year range, the four levels of
functionality were divided equally. By the
90-100 year range, 60% would be considered
frail because of very poor functionality and
only 5% still possessed good functionality.
In the United States, the 85+ age group is
the fastest growing, a group that is almost
sure to face the “inevitable decrepitude”
of survivors.
Markers of frailty
Three unique markers of frailty have been
proposed: loss of any notion of invincibility,
loss of ability to do things essential to
one’s care, and loss of possibility for
a subsequent life stage.
Old age survivors on-average deteriorate from
agility in their 65-80s to a period of frailty
preceding death. This deterioration is gradual
for some and precipitous for others. Frailty
is marked by an array of chronic physical
and mental problems which means that frailty
is not treatable as a specific disease. These
problems coupled with increased dependency
in the basic activities of daily living required
for personal care add emotional problems:
depression and anxiety. In sum, frailty has
been depicted as a group of “complex issues,”
distinct but “causally interconnected,”
that often include “comorbid diseases,”,
progressive weakness, stress, exhaustion,
and depression.
Misconceptions of frail people
Johnson and Barer did a pioneering study of
Life Beyond 85 Years by interviews over a
six year period. In talking with 85+ year
olds, they found some popular conceptions
about old age to be erroneous. Many studies
of old age overlook the 85+ survivors so their
conclusions do not apply. Such erroneous conceptions
include people in old age have a least one
family member for support, old age well-being
requires social activity, and “successful
adaptation” to age-related changes demands
a continuity of self-concept. In their interviews,
Johnson and Barer found that 24% of the 85+
had no face-to-face family relationships;
many have outlived their families. Second,
that contrary to popular notions, the interviews
revealed that the reduced activity and socializing
of the over 85s does not harm their well-being;
they “welcome increased detachment.” Third,
rather than a continuity of self-concept,
as the interviewees faced new situations they
changed their “cognitive and emotional processes”
and reconstituted their “self–representation.”
Care and costs
Frail people require a high level of care.
Medical advances have made it possible to
“postpone death” for years. This added
time costs many frail people “prolonged
sickness, dependence, pain, and suffering.”
These final years are also costly in economic
terms. One out of every four Medicare dollars
is spent on the frail in their last year of
life . . . in attempts to postpone death.
Medical treatments in the final days are not
only economically costly, they are often unnecessary,
even harmful. Nortin Hadler, M.D. warns against
the tendency to medicalize and overtreat the
frail. In her Choosing Medical Care in Old
Age, Muriel R. Gillick M.D. argues that appropriate
medical treatment for the frail is not the
same as for the robust. The frail are vulnerable
to “being tipped over” by any physical
stress put on the system such as medical interventions.
Death and frailty
Old age, death, and frailty are linked because
approximately half the deaths in old age are
preceded by months or years of frailty,
Older Adults' Views on Death is based on interviews
with 109 people in the 70-90 age range, with
a mean age of 80.7. Almost 20% of the people
wanted to use whatever treatment that might
postpone death. About the same number said
that given a terminal illness, they would
choose assisted suicide. Roughly half chose
doing nothing except live day by day until
death comes naturally without medical or other
intervention designed to prolong life. This
choice was coupled with a desire to receive
palliative care if needed.
About half of older adults suffer multimorbidity,
that is, they have three or more chronic conditions.
Medical advances have made it possible to
“postpone death,” but in many cases this
postponement adds “prolonged sickness, dependence,
pain, and suffering,” a time that is costly
in social, psychological, economic terms.
The longitudinal interviews of 150 age 85+
people summarized in Life Beyond 85 Years
found “progressive terminal decline” in
the year prior to death: constant fatigue,
much sleep, detachment from people, things,
and activities, simplified lives. Most of
the interviewees did not fear death; some
would welcome it. One person said, “living
this long is pure hell.” However, nearly
everyone feared a long process of dying. Some
wanted to die in their sleep; others wanted
to die “on their feet.”
The study of Older Adults' Views on Death
found that the more frail people were, the
more “pain, suffering, and struggles”
they were enduring, the more likely they were
to “accept and welcome” death as a release
from their misery. Their fear about the process
of dying was that it would prolong their distress.
Besides being a release from misery, some
saw death as a way to reunion with departed
loved ones. Others saw death as a way to free
their caretakers from the burden of their
care.
Religiosity in old age
At all times, old people have been more religious
than young people. At the same time, wide
cultural variations exist.
In the United States, 90% of old age Hispanics
view themselves as very, quite, or somewhat
religious. The Pew Research Center’s study
of black and white old people found that 62%
of those in ages 65-74 and 70% in ages 75+
asserted that religion was “very important”
to them. For all 65+ people, more women than
men and more blacks than whites consider religion
“very important” to them. This compares
to 54% in the 30-49 age range.
In a British 20-year longitudinal study, less
than half of the old people surveyed said
that religion was “very important” to
them and one-fourth said they had become less
religious in old age. The late-life rise in
religiosity is stronger in Japan than in the
United States, but in the Netherlands it is
minimal.
In the practice of religion, a study of 60+
people found that 25% read the Bible every
day and over 40% look at religious TV. Pew
Research found that in the age 65+ range,
75% of whites and 87% of blacks pray daily
Participation in organized religion is not
a good indicator of religiosity because transportation
and health problems often hinder participation.
Demographic changes
In the industrialized countries, life expectancy
and, thus, the old age population have increased
consistently over the last decades. In the
United States the proportion of people aged
65 or older increased from 4% in 1900 to about
12% in 2000. In 1900, only about 3 million
of the nation's citizens were 65 or older.
By 2000, the number of senior citizens had
increased to about 35 million. Population
experts estimate that more than 50 million
Americans—about 17 percent of the population—will
be 65 or older in 2020. By 2050, it is projected
that at least 400,000 Americans will be 100
or older.
The number of old people is growing around
the world chiefly because of the post–World
War II baby boom and increases in the provision
and standards of health care. By 2050, 33%
of the developed world’s population and
almost 20% of the less developed world’s
population will be over 60 years old.
The growing number of people living to their
80s and 90s in the developed world has strained
public welfare systems and has also resulted
in increased incidence of diseases like cancer
and dementia that were rarely seen in premodern
times. When the United States Social Security
program was created, persons older than 65
numbered only around 5% of the population
and the average life expectancy of a 65 year
old in 1936 was approximately 5 years, while
in 2011 it could often range from 10–20
years. Other issues that can arise from an
increasing population are growing demands
for health care and an increase in demand
for different types of services.
Of the roughly 150,000 people who die each
day across the globe, about two thirds—100,000
per day—die of age-related causes. In industrialized
nations, the proportion is much higher, reaching
90%.
Psychosocial aspects
According to Erik Erikson’s "Eight Stages
of Life" theory, the human personality is
developed in a series of eight stages that
take place from the time of birth and continue
on throughout an individual’s complete life.
He characterises old age as a period of "Integrity
vs. Despair", during which a person focuses
on reflecting back on his life. Those who
are unsuccessful during this phase will feel
that their life has been wasted and will experience
many regrets. The individual will be left
with feelings of bitterness and despair. Those
who feel proud of their accomplishments will
feel a sense of integrity. Successfully completing
this phase means looking back with few regrets
and a general feeling of satisfaction. These
individuals will attain wisdom, even when
confronting death. Coping is a very important
skill needed in the aging process to move
forward with life and not be 'stuck' in the
past. The way a person adapts and copes, reflects
his aging process on a psycho-social level.
Newman & Newman proposed a ninth stage of
life, Elderhood. Elderhood refers to those
individuals who live past the life expectancy
of their birth cohorts. There are two different
types of people described in this stage of
life. The "young old" are the healthy individuals
who can function on their own without assistance
and can complete their daily tasks independently.
The "old old" are those who depend on specific
services due to declining health or diseases.
This period of life is characterized as a
period of "immortality vs. extinction." Immortality
is the belief that your life will go on past
death, some examples are an afterlife or living
on through one's family. Extinction refers
to feeling as if life has no purpose.
Theories of old age
Social theories, or concepts, propose explanations
for the distinctive relationships between
old people and their societies.
One of the theories is the Disengagement Theory
proposed in 1961. This theory proposes that
in old age a mutual disengagement between
people and their society occurs in anticipation
of death. By becoming disengaged from work
and family responsibilities, according to
this concept, people are enabled to enjoy
their old age without stress. This theory
has been subjected to the criticism that old
age disengagement is neither natural, inevitable,
nor beneficial. Furthermore, disengaging from
social ties in old age is not across the board:
unsatisfactory ties are dropped and satisfying
ones kept.
In opposition to the Disengagement Theory
the Activity Theory of old age argues that
disengagement in old age occurs not by desire,
but by the barriers to social engagement imposed
by society. This theory has been faulted for
not factoring in psychological changes that
occur in old age as shown by reduced activity
even when available. It has also been found
that happiness in old age is not proportional
to activity.
According to the Continuity Theory, in spite
of the inevitable differences imposed by their
old age, most people try to maintain continuity
in personhood, activities, and relationships
with their younger days.
Socioemotional Selectivity Theory also depicts
how people maintain continuity in old age.
The focus of this theory is continuity sustained
by social networks, albeit networks narrowed
by choice and by circumstances. The choice
is for more harmonious relationships. The
circumstances are loss of relationships by
death and distance.
Life expectancy
Life expectancy by nation at birth in year
2011 ranged from 48 years to 82.
In most parts of the world women live, on
average, longer than men; even so, the disparities
vary between 12 years in Russia to no difference
or higher life expectancy for men in countries
such as Zimbabwe and Uganda.
The number of elderly persons worldwide began
to surge in the second half of the 20th century.
Up to that time, five or less percent of the
population was over 65. Few lived longer than
their 70s and people who attained advanced
age were rare enough to be a novelty and were
revered as wise sages. The worldwide over
65 population in 1960 was one-third of the
under 5 population. By 2013, the over 65 population
had grown to equal the under 5 population.
The over 65 population is projected to double
the under five by 2050.
Before the surge in the over 65 population,
accidents and disease claimed many people
before they could attain old age, and health
problems in those over 65 meant a quick death
in most cases. If a person lived to an advanced
age, it was due to genetic factors and/or
a relatively easy lifestyle, since diseases
of old age could not be treated before the
20th century.
Old age benefits
German chancellor Otto von Bismarck created
the world's first comprehensive government
social safety net in the 1880s, providing
for old age pensions.
In the United States of America, and the United
Kingdom, 65 was traditionally the age of retirement
with full old age benefits.
In 2003, the age at which a United States
citizen became eligible for full Social Security
benefits began to increase gradually, and
will continue to do so until it reaches 67
in 2027. Full retirement age for Social Security
benefits for people retiring in 2012 is age
66. In the United Kingdom, the state pension
age for men and women will rise to 66 in 2020
with further increases scheduled after that.”
Originally, the purpose of old age pensions
was to prevent elderly persons from being
reduced to beggary, which is still common
in some underdeveloped countries, but growing
life expectancies and older populations have
brought into question the model under which
pension systems were designed. The dominant
perception of the American old age population
changed from “needy” and “worthy”
to “powerful” and “greedy,” old people
getting more than their share of the nation's
resources. However, in 2011, using a Supplemental
Poverty Measure, the old age American poverty
rate was measured as 15.9%.
Assistance: devices and personal
In the USA in 2008, 11 million people aged
65+ lived alone: 5 million or 22% of ages
65–74, 4 million or 34% of ages 75–84,
and 2 million or 41% of ages 85+. The 2007
gender breakdown for all people 65+ was men
19% and women 39%.
Many new assistive devices made especially
for the home have enabled more old people
to care for themselves activities of daily
living. Able Data lists 40,000 assistive technology
products in 20 categories. Some examples of
devices are a medical alert and safety system,
shower seat, a bed cane and an ADL cuff.
A Swedish study found that at age 76, 46%
of the subjects used assistive devices. When
they reached age 86, 69% used them. The subjects
were ambivalent regarding the use of the assistive
devices: as “enablers” or as “disablers.”
People who view assistive devices as enabling
greater independence accept and use them.
Those who see them as symbols of disability
reject them.
Even with assistive devices as of 2006, 8½
million Americans needed personal assistance
because of impaired basic activities of daily
living required for personal care or impaired
instrumental activities of daily living required
for independent living. Projections place
this number at 21 million by 2030 when 40%
of Americans over 70 will need assistance.
There are many options for such long term
care to those who require it. There is the
home care in which a family member, volunteer,
or trained professional will aid the person
in need and help with daily activities. Another
option is community services which can provide
the person with transportation, meal plans,
or activities in senior centers. A third option
is assisted living where 24 hour round the
clock supervision is given with aid in eating,
bathing, dressing, etc. A final option is
a nursing home which provides professional
nursing care. old age is one of the four sights
in buddhism.
See also
Ageing
Aging in dogs
Aging in place
Centenarian
Elderly care
Elder Village
Geriatric care management
Gerontology
List of the verified oldest men
List of the verified oldest women
Oldest people
Pensioner
Respect for the Aged Day
Silver Alert
Supercentenarian
References
External links
Milton Crum, “I’m Old” at http:montanaseniornews.com201306
and http:thecsr.orgim-old-an-essay-on-aging-by-milton-crum/#sthash.e87C5Jyc.dpuf.
Laura Carstensen - research at Stanford university's
Life-span Development Laboratory, and Stanford
Center on Longevity.
Milton Crum, “I’m Frail” at Association
of Hospice & Palliative Care Chaplains, http:www.ahpcc.org.uk/imfrail.pdf
International Federation on Aging—informs
and promotes positive change for old people
globally
Age UK—UK charity supporting those in old
age in the UK and in developing countries
HelpAge International—UK-based international
charity supporting older people in developing
countries. Sister organisation of Age UK
People 'get happier as they age'
How Old Do You Feel? It Depends on Your Age
