Abstract
Aging confronts us with numerous physical, psychological and social changes that challenge our sense of self and our capacity to live happily. For most seniors, retirement years are anticipated positively; responsibilities lesson and opportunity for leisure time increases. Some people experience loneliness and depression as they age as a result of living alone or due to the loss of family members through death, and reduced connections with friends. As with all of life’s transitions there are discrepancies between what a person expects will happen and what actually happens. Many of the changes that occur from aging result from gradual losses which begin in early adulthood, but their cumulative effects are not recognized until they are seen in the senior years. A senior is a person in the final stage of the life course who is still able to make substantial contributions to society. Old age is a social construct rather than a biological stage. The concept of successful aging is a state wherein an individual is able to invoke psychological and social mechanisms to compensate for physiological limitations to achieve a sense of well-being. Research has shown that older people have different social networks to help them feel connected. Empowerment is an important aspect of aging even when caregiving is minimal. Autonomy and social support are important aspects of successful aging; it has been suggested that control and support have different effects on individuals, but they are thought to enhance longevity and health.
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Notes
- 1.
See Cacioppo and Patrick (2008) Chap. 6 on understanding how the body experiences the wear and tear of loneliness associated with aging.
- 2.
One of the biggest misconceptions about dementia is that it is part of the normal course of aging. In a recent survey by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America the majority of caregivers surveyed said that they were aware that Alzheimer’s disease has both cognitive and behavioral symptoms but two-thirds (64 %) didn’t recognize the behavioral symptoms as problems, believing that they were just a normal part of aging. See “Alzheimer’s Caregivers: Behavioral vs. Cognitive Challenges,” September 2012. Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. Also see, Kiyak et al. (1994). Functional health was consistently rated as more impaired by family caregivers of demented patients than by the patients themselves. The capacity for self-observation is partially preserved in Alzheimer’s patients in mild to moderate stages.
- 3.
Mead (2010). A description of a facility that offers dementia patients a comfortable decline instead of imposing a medical model of care, which seeks to defer death through escalating interventions.
- 4.
Older adults’ definition of successful aging is multidimensional, encompassing physical, functional, psychological and social health. In contrast, none of the published work describing attitudes of successful aging includes all four dimensions. Future work would benefit from an expanded definition to adequately reflect the perceptions of older adults. See Phelan et al. (2004).
- 5.
For recent research on the relationships between social support, networks, and happiness see Population Reference Bureau (2009). This newsletter explores the ways social networks affect health and happiness, and influence longevity.
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Bruhn, J., Rebach, H. (2014). Caregiving at Life’s Transitions: The Senior Years. In: The Sociology of Caregiving. Clinical Sociology: Research and Practice. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8857-1_6
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