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This article focuses on the reality of our increasing lifespans and what that means for us. People are actively making sure their lives are productive and fulfilling. Baby boomers desiring a lifestyle like this is referred to as a perennial. It talks about different factors that influence us as we age, but gives examples of how we can counteract the negative effects. This includes figuring out systems that give aging people the help and opportunities they need. The article stresses the importance of valuing elderly people more in our society.

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Healthy aging is a new norm, researchers say, with older adults having a new name and attitude. By YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV/Shutterstock.com

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 U.S. has risen by more than 30 years in barely more than a century to a current 78.6 years.

But with the increased life expectancy, a question arises: How do people stay healthy as they age? 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, blossoming life into old age.

What is healthy aging? As members of the Healthy Aging Research Network, we have been researching factors affecting how long Americans will live, ways to stay as healthy as possible, and how best to make extended years quality years. Taking a comprehensive view, we defined healthy aging as "the development and maintenance of optimal physical, mental (cognitive and emotional), spiritual, and social well-being and function in older adults."

But achieving this is something different altogether.

Shifting demographics, shifting views

We now know many of the interacting factors influencing healthy aging - one's genetic makeup, cellular biology, lifestyle behaviors, personal perspectives about aging, social engagement, and environment - and realize the importance of viewing 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 a lifelong process that occurs from birth to death. Social and behavioral determinants are often stronger predictors of premature death than one's biology or health care.

Richard Vogel/AP Photo

Yet, there are fundamental questions about what aging means in the U.S. and abroad. This is important to consider, as stereotypical views of aging can be health hazards themselves, as research has shown that holding negative perceptions of aging can cut 7.5 years from one's life.

In the early 1900s, U.S. life expectancy at birth was under 50 years of age, and only a very small percentage of Americans lived to age 65.

As a result, people did not expect to live to an old age, and the concept of healthy aging was unthinkable. Few people, including older adults, health care professionals, or policymakers, could imagine the costs of aging with chronic conditions for individuals and society.

Now, aging is a global phenomenon with 962 million people 60 years and older around the world, including about 78 million North Americans. With average life expectancies hovering around 80 and the possibility of living to 125 on the horizon, there is more attention to the contributors and consequences of living into one's 80s, 90s, 100s, and beyond.

Population aging, older persons comprising an increasingly larger share of the population, is becoming the "new normal" throughout the world. This is resulting in the debunking of some stereotypes about global aging as a phenomenon only occurring in the most developed countries. Although Japan and European countries have the highest percentages of older people, rates of population aging are actually higher in many developing regions such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America and have huge implications for the welfare of older populations. With rapid globalization and urbanization, families are often more mobile, social support networks are breaking down, health care systems are inadequate, and older people are often left in remote villages to fend for themselves or care for young children left behind.

On the positive side, we in the U.S. can learn from how some countries are successfully dealing with their aging populations and age-related conditions by considering "all in" community approaches such as dementia-friendly communities.

Ageism rampant

De Visu/Shutterstock.com

Despite the increased proportion of older people in our society, many people still hold stereotypical views of aging and view seniors as less capable. Often, the images they hold depict aging as synonymous with frailty, loneliness, and poverty.

Similarly, depictions of super-aging, such as 90-year-olds running marathons, reflect extreme cases that are not necessarily the reality for most people in their 80s, 90s, or 100s, the age groups increasing most rapidly. Healthy aging does not mean everyone needs to be at peak performance on every dimension; rather, it means everyone should live life to the fullest.

Foremost, it is important to combat ageism in all its forms requiring a shift in our thinking and policies away from negative aging stereotypes.

Recognizing aging as a societal and individual concern, it is important to identify concrete actions at all levels that can make a difference.

For grand-scale change, we believe that multiple sectors - aging services, public health, and health care - and policymakers, health care professionals, families, and older people themselves can take action. We believe there needs to be more public support enabling the growing number of perennials to engage in the well-documented keys to healthy aging. These include having a positive attitude toward aging, being physically active, having access to healthy foods, being socially connected, and living in safe communities.

Toward this end, several aging advocacy groups have banded together to create a campaign to " reframe" or "disrupt" aging - stressing its positive aspects, but also recognizing the realities of some age-related changes, such as declines in sensory abilities and chronic conditions.

A crucial factor is rethinking the role of older people in society and having meaningful roles throughout one's life, whether paid or unpaid. We need to combat ageist views that make it difficult for older workers to maintain high-paying jobs or find new ones if they find themselves unemployed. As researchers, we have seen the positive impact of evidence-based programs for chronic disease self-management, physical activity, falls prevention, and lifestyle enhancement for promoting health and independence.

The challenge isn't going away

By 2050, there will be more than 2 billion older people globally. By 2035, there will be more adults 65 and older than children under the age of 18 in the U.S. This unprecedented transformation can bring about doom-and-gloom projections. While these numbers are game-changing, aging demographics do not need to be destiny.

Such projections can also serve as a catalyst to action to create a society that values older people, fosters social and physical environments that are supportive for healthy aging, encourages intergenerational commonalities over intergenerational conflicts, and emboldens older people to take charge of their own health. However, this requires a commitment to programs and services that help older people maintain their health and functioning.

We want to envision a world where intimate relationships would be seen as natural at any age, most falls are preventable, technology is omnipresent to extend older adults' health and well-being, and caregivers have support to maintain their valuable roles. Most importantly, we believe it is best for society as a whole if perennnials do indeed remain in vibrant, productive roles whether at home, in the community, or at work.

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As life expectancies rise, so are expectations for healthy aging

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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 U.S. has risen by more than 30 years in barely more than a century to a current 78.6 years.

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This article talks about some changes that help us to adapt as we age, and gives advice on how to maintain our independence. It points out that it becomes difficult to live in a home because doing chores getting around gets harder. It might be necessary to refurnish a home to make it easier and safer to live in such as making doorways wider to accommodate a wheelchair or walker. It also mentions that situations change, so it's important to stay up to date on what is required.

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Getty

It's never been easier to stay in your home for the rest of your life, safely and comfortably. It's going to be even easier in coming years. Successful aging in place, however, requires thought, planning and work. When your goal is to stay in your longtime home regardless of what life throws at you, it's important to take action before there's any doubt about your ability to live independently.

There's no doubt that the preferred option for most older Americans is to age gracefully in their current homes. Survey after survey finds that around 90 percent of those 65 and older identifying aging in place as their goal.

To reach that goal, however, most people will have to do more than simply state that is their wish. There should be more than a simple goal to remain in the home as long as possible. You should want to stay their safely, comfortably and as independently as possible. You should want to have a reasonable quality of life at an affordable cost.

As I said, it's never been easier to live through life's various stages in the same home. But you need to plan and prepare long before anyone questions whether that's a good idea. Those who defer the research, planning and preparing are likely to end up disappointed or having a low quality of life in their last years. Too often I hear people say, "We're not there yet." That's precisely the time you need to consider the steps to take. If you wait until you're "there," it will likely be too late for you to act.

You need to prepare the home for the future you, because most homes weren't built with the features an elderly person needs. Often an elderly person can't navigate stairs or should avoid them. All the rooms the person needs must be on one floor. There might be a need to widen doorways and hallways to accommodate a wheelchair, walker or other mobility aids. Counters and cabinets might need to be lower. Door knobs often should be replaced by handles. The list of ways most homes must be adapted to enable someone to safely and comfortably age in place is extensive.

Simply asserting that you want to stay in your home isn't sufficient to cause it to happen. You and your home must be prepared in advance. I recommend these six key steps.

Weigh both costs and benefits. Staying in your home isn't as inexpensive as many people imagine, and moving to an assisted living residence might not be as expensive. Take an objective look at both options and tabulate the net difference.

Leaving your home, whether for an assisted living facility or a smaller home, incurs one-time costs. You might have to do some maintenance or improvements to sell the home. There also will be other selling expenses and the cost of moving. The new residence will have other costs, such as entrance fees or the cost of buying the residence. There will be continuing costs that will depend on the type of home you select.

Be sure you know the likely full costs of staying in your home. Even if the home is mortgage-free, there will be continuing expenses. There will be maintenance, repairs and upgrades needed to maintain a home's value and function. The home also is likely to need modifications I described above to make it safe and comfortable for you to age in place.

The longer you stay in the home, the more expenses are likely to increase. Most people need to hire people to do things they used to do around the home, such as repairs, cleaning, cooking and even personal assistance. That increases the cost of staying at home. Don't forget that real estate taxes are likely to increase every year.

When all these factors are considered, aging in place isn't as inexpensive as many people believe. Also, the cost of staying in your home is likely to increase over time. If it's economical to stay in your home now, it might not be in a few years.

As I say below, this analysis needs to be repeated regularly. There's likely to be a tipping point when staying in the home isn't cost effective.

Plan to maintain social connections. More and more research finds that perhaps the most important factor in aging well is having social interaction and connections.

Social isolation is a major problem for older Americans. Some researchers say being socially isolated is as physically detrimental as smoking several packs of cigarettes daily. Lack of personal contact and connections leads to depression and loneliness.

If you want to age in place, what is your plan to establish and maintain social contacts? Keep in mind that your personal mobility and ability to drive are likely to decline over time. Do you have close friends and relatives nearby? If so, will they remain there and will you be able to see them regularly? Will you be able to establish new relationships as people you know move or pass away? How often will you be able to leave the home to see people?

Technology can help somewhat in maintaining social connections. But you need a certain amount of in-person contact with people close to you that technology can't completely replace.

One of the advantages of apartment-style independent living or assisted living communities is social connections are more frequent and easier to make. You don't have to leave the building to meet people, and there are a lot of people to meet. A range of activities is on the calendar. You only have to choose those that interest you.

Prepare your home. You need to make any modifications that enable you to age in place before you need them to reduce the risk of an accident or that you won't be able to arrange the modifications when they become essential. Some homes aren't suitable for an aging person without significant changes, such as installing an elevator or moving the master bedroom to the main floor. Check web sites for ideas on how to prepare the home and find contractors with experience in modifying homes for aging owners.

Technology is the big recent change in this area, and it's likely to be more important in coming years. A wide range of new devices make it easier and safer for an older person to stay in his or her home. Someone who is serious about aging in place should have a way to know the latest developments and determine which ones would enhance his or her life.

Who will help you? Transportation and other services you take for granted today might be a problem in the future. You need to go to medical appointments, buy groceries and other essentials, run errands and simply get out of the house. How will these tasks be done if your mobility is reduced?

What's probably most important is that you have one or more people you trust who can monitor your quality of life. There should be people you'll listen to who will tell you when living on your own has reduced your quality of life and it's time to consider another arrangement.

Planning the transition. Many people reach a point when staying in their homes comfortably and safely requires help with tasks such as cleaning, preparing meals, and other homemaking chores. Declining vision, aching joints, or other physical issues also might make it difficult to deal with mail, pay bills, read, or even safely go for a walk. Some people need assistance with medical and health issues that might require a home health aide or visiting nurse.

You need to decide whether to hire services to help with these tasks so that you can remain in the home or move to another residence. Assess the availability of these services in your area and how much they cost. Hiring these services in your home can be an alternative to moving, provided you also can maintain social connections.

Review and update. Your personal situation will change. Your home will change. And the services available to you will change. You and people you can trust and rely on should review these factors regularly and assess whether aging in place remains the best solution for you.

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It's never been easier to stay in your home for the rest of your life, safely and comfortably. It's going to be even easier in coming years. Successful aging in place, however, requires thought, planning and work.

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This is a positive article about the experience of being a grandparent. We are able to watch children grow and mature into their own beings, and then they eventually bring their own child into the world to raise. It's demanding work that comes with the responsibility of caring for another's life.

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"Remember always that you have not only the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one. You cannot make any useful contribution in life unless you do this." - Eleanor Roosevelt
Over their lifetime, it has been a great joy to watch the individuals emerge from the children I carried in to this world.

As children

As little ones, Cort was the out-going, ornery one. Caroline was all sweetness and light. Cort didn't know a stranger, and would reach out to total strangers in the grocery store to ask "how ya doin' today?" Caroline was shy around anyone new, though she would give her adorable smile to anyone as long as she was holding on to mom with one tight grip.

Cort was a born negotiator, trying to find a new way to do things. Caroline quietly played by the rules. Cort questioned enormous things way ahead of his chronological age, asking for a telescope to view the stars when he was only 7. He asked in great detail about the concept of "light years" when he was 8-years-old, and I had no idea how to answer him.

Caroline would awaken each morning with a sleepy smile, often asking for more quiet time to play with her doll babies and stuffed animals before she greeted the real world. I would often hear her jabbering with her menagerie of little imaginary friends long before she emerged from her bedroom.

Cort loved Sesame Street and action cartoons, at times loudly participating or recreating it all. Caroline could have quite easily lived without all of that. She would pick up a book and pretend to read long before she ever could. She would often bring a book to me, curl up on my lap, ready for storytime.

Cort loved fishing with his "Papa Brooks" Ringler, telling me that digging for bait was "just the most fun!" Caroline tagged along a time or two, and while she enjoyed the day, she didn't beg to do this again anytime soon.

Cort set up his own aquarium as a youngster, and built a small business of cleaning fish tanks at various business establishments, saving every dime. Caroline earned money by babysitting and cleaning, and was generous with gifts for those she loved.

As adults

It has been interesting to watch these individual personalities continue to grow, expand, and evolve in their personal and professional lives, both landing good jobs with a solid work ethic, and then become parents themselves.

Caroline, who named her oldest after Papa Brooks Ringler, is quietly organized, calmly efficient and sweet with her own toddler son and baby daughter. She is warm and welcoming and loved by her large circle of friends, both old and new. I have been told numerous times by friends and co-workers that Caroline is the kindest, most thoughtful person they have ever known.

Cort, joyous with his 1-year-old son named after my dad, is very much a hands-on father. He is quick to take on any daily chore a baby requires, and the father-son bond is strong, sweet and rambunctious when it is play time.

Cort has also maintained friendships with lifelong friends while welcoming new of all ages and walks of life, and will boldly speak the truth even if it stings. He has not let health challenges hold him back nor define him, earning a master's degree while working a demanding, full-time job. Without fanfare, he administers his weekly treatments at home, which he will require for life. It is a reminder of the gifts of individuality that we are given in this life.

I enjoy every unique nuance of the two children, their spouses and three grandchildren I have been blessed to have in my life. I realize now that part of the true joy of grandparenting is not only loving deeply the new life, but witnessing with awe your own children take on the miraculous gift and enormous responsibility of a lifetime.

If we are to measure our own accomplishment as a parent in how our children take on that same role, I feel a great reassurance, reinforced daily and sprinkled with joy, laughter and lots of love.

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The joy of seeing children as parents - Farm and Dairy

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"Remember always that you have not only the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one. You cannot make any useful contribution in life unless you do this." - Eleanor Roosevelt Over their lifetime, it has been a great joy to watch the individuals emerge from the children I carried in to this world.

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This video clip from Spongebob makes fun of Old Man Jenkins for running into a post and mistaking it for an attractive lady. Old Man Jenkins couldn't recognize the post even though he ran into it. This is an example of how we view older people as having a decrease in both physical and mental capabilities.  He's blind, seems to be missing teeth, and also comes off as a confused old man.

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This article addresses the fact that elder abuse is a problem that not enough people are aware of, and brings up red flags to look out for. It also gives examples of who is more likely to be a victim and what type of abuse they suffer from. Most victims have mental impairments or handicaps, and suffer from physical/sexual abuse, financial manipulation, or neglect. It is important that we trust the people who take care of our elders when they can't do it on their own anymore.

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Too many health, justice and social service professionals lack the training to "effectively" identify and assess elder abuse, according to a study in the Journal of Criminal Justice and Law Review.

The study, originally completed in 2008 and reposted this month, concluded that "most elder abuse occurs at the hands of those the victim most trusts-their friends and family."

Because of this startling and unsettling finding, the researchers outlined abuse indicators, and recommendations for addressing the issue to help the victims.

The authors of the study say the typical victim of elder abuse is someone 60 years or older who is "being abused physically or sexually, exploited financially, neglected, or has been abandoned by a caretaker." They also mention that the victims typically have mental impairments or other forms of handicaps.

According to recent figures, the problem of elder abuse is increasing.

A 2019 New York-based study conducted by the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) estimated that "260,000 (1 in 13) older adults in the state of New York had been victims of at least one form of elder abuse in the preceding year, and that "...for every case [of elder abuse] known to programs and agencies, 24 were unknown."

Many of the "red flags" for elder abuse are not physically identifiable, making them difficult to spot. The authors argue that "too many professionals lack the training to effectively assess and detect elder abuse," so there is a real need for education for prevention and intervention.

Some of the hard-to-identify warning signs outlined in the study include:

Caregivers don't converse with the elderly patient;

The elderly are regularly left in unsafe environmental conditions;

Appropriate hygiene and/or sanitary conditions are lacking.

Additional signs of trouble are caregivers who are quick to lose their patience with the elderly individual, and the caretaker fails to provide proper attention throughout all interactions.

These signs, the authors say, could be indicative of more sinister behaviors occurring behind closed doors.

Other, more outward signs of abuse outlined by the study are when a caretaker subjects the elderly patient to physical punishment, or "unreasonably" confines or restrains her.

Troubled caregivers themselves present another "primary characteristic" of a lapse in care.

"It has been found that caregivers with clinical depression are much more likely to engage in mistreatment of their elderly dependents than those that are not so afflicted," the study said.

Spouses are a potential source of abuse, researchers suggested, noting that a spouse who may have been abusive during an earlier point in the relationship might resume that treatment under the added stress of taking care of the more acute needs of seniors unable to fend for themselves.

Victims of elderly abuse are also more likely to be handicapped, recipients of Medicaid, live in a "fewer people household," and have experienced abuse or trauma in the past.

Recommendations

Once a case of abuse is identified, the authors recommend talking with and including the victim in every new step towards healing, so they're a part of the decision-making.

Examples of helping the victim heal from trauma-inducing treatment include "support group referral, arranging for assistance from other family members and/or friends, or having volunteers and/or formal service-providers provide assistance."

"There is clear need for clinical tools that can help identify caregivers at risk for providing poor-quality care," the study said.

This kind of preemptive emotional and behavioral screening is important to make sure that elderly individuals get quality care, added the researchers.

In situations where a family member takes care of the elderly person for most of the day, health care professionals must assess the older person's family relationships.

"It is important that professionals probe behind the reason that a relative or friend is living with the elderly person and...it is important that the professional interviews the elderly person to get their perception of the relationship that exists with that relative or friend," the authors wrote.

Other recommendations include helping the elderly maintain social networks that can reduce their sense of isolation.

The authors of the study were Penny A. Hanser and Robert Hanser, both of the University of Louisiana at Monroe; Scott M. Mire, of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette; and Howard M. Henderson II, of the Sam Houston State University.
Additional reading: Elder Abuse: When Victims Balk, Should Prosecutors Press Charges? 'Help Guide' to Elder Abuse Elder Abuse (National Institute on Aging)
The full study can be accessed here.
This summary was prepared by TCR staff writer Andrea Cipriano

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Identifying the 'Red Flags' of Elder Abuse | The Crime Report

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A study last year found that one in 13 older adults in New York were victims of elder abuse. As the problem deepens with America's aging population, The Crime Report reviews a 2008 study that helps health care professionals and relatives identify danger signs that an elderly individual has been the victim of abuse.